Azumanga Daioh Returns
by jamesbondkid2001
Summary: New! Birth Saga: The Azu-girls give birth, and find out just how hard it is to take care of newborns.
1. Chiyo Returns

Chiyo's Return

Author's note: Any dialogue in **Bold** is said in English. Any dialogue not in bold is translated from Japanese.

Japanese-American Airways Airport, 3:00

"**Thank you for flying Japanese-American Airways**." The flight attendant said politely to each person that left the plane. She then looked down as a girl walked by her.

"**Thank you for flying Japanese-American Airways.**"

"**Thank you very much.** But I know Japanese." The little girl said.

"Oh, aren't you so smart?" the flight attendant said with a smile.

Chiyo walked out from the plane. She looked outside the huge windows that were at the airport. "I'm so glad to be home," she said.

She stopped outside, got in a taxi, gave her address, and the taxi drove away.

Although Chiyo looked the same, 4 years had really changed her mentally. She was now 16. She now kept her hair down, and never tied it up. Some of the American culture had passed on to the way she dressed, but she had felt slightly awkward when she got off the plane.

On her way home, she thought about the 4 years she had spent in college in America. It had been an interesting 4 years, and now she had come back to Japan. She remembered a friend that had been there since day one.

…

Flashback

…

"**Excuse me, I'm looking for the Science wing."** Chiyo said.

"Excuse me," someone said. Chiyo turned.

He had huge glasses; blonde hair in the shape of a bowl cut, and was approximately 5'11''. He had blue jeans on, with a shirt that said "I M A GMR".

"Did you just speak Japanese?" Chiyo asked.

"I did. You must be Chiyo-chan. I'm very pleased to meet you." the stranger said, and bowed.

He's so well cultivated, thought Chiyo

…

End flashback

…

Chiyo thought about her friend, whom she had spent the last 4 years talking, helping, and overall enjoying college with.

The taxi swerved, snapping Chiyo out of her gaze.

"What was that?" She asked, and tried to catch what the taxi just missed.

She looked out the rear mirror, saw it, and it sent a chill down her spine.

It had been a silver car, with all sorts of dents and dings in it.

…

…

Chiyo arrived at her house at about 4:00. She paid the taxi driver, walked up to the front door, and opened it.

"Surprise. Welcome home, Chiyo-chan!" Everyone screamed.

Chiyo-chan just stood there with a big smile on her face, on the verge of tears. She couldn't have been any happier to see all of her friends from high school.

…

…

"So, Chiyo-chan, how was America?" Yomi asked.

"America was cool. American's ask for a lot more personal space, though." Chiyo said.

Chiyo, Tomo, Yomi, Osaka, Kagura, Sakaki, and Kaorin were around the table in Chiyo's room.

During the four years that Chiyo had been away, Kagura had become a professional athlete. She had competed in the Olympics once, and had gotten a gold medal in all of the events she participated in.

Yomi had become a dietitian, training people on how to lose weight, and even writing a few books.

Tomo had become a teacher (most likely to follow in the steps of Yukari-sensei).

Osaka had also become a teacher, although it was because Chiyo told her she could. Some of her class time was often her suddenly staring into space, wondering about who knows what, and then suddenly snapping back into her lesson right where she left off. Many of her students had gotten used to this though, making Osaka a very good teacher.

Sakaki had become a veterinarian. She had just finished up vet school, and was going to start looking for a job in two weeks, after she took a small break. Kaorin had found out about Sakaki going to a vet school, and had followed after her. Kaorin was, of course, taking two weeks off with Sakaki.

"So, tell us about this American friend of yours" Tomo said. "Have you two been dating?" She nudged Chiyo suggestively.

"Tomo, Chiyo-chan isn't even old enough to start dating yet." Yomi said. "Besides, he's probably 20, and she's 16."

"He's 24 now," Chiyo told her. "Oh, speaking of which, do you guys have any boyfriends?"

"Nope" Yomi replied

"No" Osaka said

"That's a negative," Tomo said

"No" Sakaki replied in her quiet voice

"Never had," Kaorin replied.

"I do" Kagura replied.

Everybody looked at Kagura in amazement.

"He's German. I met him at the Olympics. We've been dating for almost a year now."

"Do you even know how to speak to him?" Tomo asked.

"Of course I do. German was a lot easier to pick up than English." Kagura responded.

"**You are weird**" Tomo said.

Kagura spouted something off in German, which left Tomo just sitting there with her arms crossed, pouting.

"Oh, by the way, what happened to Tadakichi-san?" Yomi asked.

Chiyo turned silent. The smile on her face disappeared. She looked down at the table. Severe sadness was on her face.

"I see." Yomi said.

Moment of silence.

"But," Chiyo said, as a smile once again appeared on her face "Thanks to Joe, my American friend, I was able to feel better. Besides, he got me a new dog just like Tadakichi, and we called him Tadaichi. I left him in America with Joe, as a going away present."

"Oh, that was nice, Chiyo-chan" Yomi said.

"Chiyo-chan, besides your hair, you haven't changed a bit," Osaka said.

And it was true. Besides the fact the Chiyo now always wore her hair down (she believed it made her look more mature) she continued to look exactly like she had 4 years ago.

"Yeah, you didn't gain any height at all, shorty," Tomo said as she patted Chiyo on the head

This made Chiyo grab one of Tomo's fingers and bend it backwards, while still wearing her smile.

"OW, OW OW!" Tomo yelled

Yomi closed her eyes in content. "Seems Chiyo has learned to stick up for herself. You better watch out, Tomo-chan" Yomi said, looking over at Tomo with a grin.

…

…

At the airport, where Chiyo had just been an hour earlier, a man stepped off the airplane. He looked at the sky through the see-through windows. A tear ran down his face.

"I've always dreamed of coming to Japan. And now that dream is a reality. All thanks to a little kid genius. Speaking of which, I should call her."

He whipped out his cell phone, and speed-dialed Chiyo's house.

…

…

The phone rang. This snapped Osaka out of her staring, and she went over to answer the phone.

"Hi, Chiyo-chan's house, Osaka speaking" Osaka answered.

Some jabbering on the other side

"OK" Osaka went and handed the cordless phone over to Chiyo-chan. "It's for you"

Chiyo-chan took the phone

"Hello?" Chiyo asked

"**Hello there, Chiyo-chan**"

"Ah, Joe-san!" Chiyo responded.

"Guess where I am right now?"

Osaka responded on the corded phone "Outside the airport?"

Silence for a minute

"How'd she guess?" Joe asked.

"Wait, you're outside the airport? Why?" Chiyo continued

"I'm in Japan right now" Joe answered

Chiyo got a ridiculous-happy look on her face.

"Sorry, Chiyo-chan. But I had plans to come to Japan too, and I wanted to keep them a secret. Oh, hey, I've brought someone who's going to be happy to see you. Say hi!"

"Bark!"

"He says hi," Joe said

Chiyo got a tear down her face. She would get to see Tadaichi-san again. "I'm so glad you brought him with you." Chiyo said as she wiped away the tear.

Now there's something that will melt your heart, Yomi thought.

"No problem. I've got my cat here too. Oh, wait, hang on" Some distant yelling.

"Ok, some guys are going to deliver them over to your house later. Pets apparently aren't allowed in taxi's in Japan."

Chiyo laughed a little. Chiyo heard two honks on the phone.

"What was that?"

"Hold on"

She heard some muffled talking. Joe had put his hand over the bottom of the phone.

"Well, I guess I won't be taking a taxi, but the animals are already on their way to your house."

"What do you mean?" Chiyo asked.

"Well, this nice lady pulled up, honked her horn at me, and asked me if I was a friend of Chiyo-chan. I said yes, and she said she had come to pick me up. She apparently knows where you live."

"Oh, really. What's her name?"

"Hang on, I need to buckle in." Joe clicked his seat belt, and Chiyo heard him ask what her name was.

"She says I can call her Yukari-sensei" Joe said.

Chiyo's face turned a pale white.

"Well, I'll be there shortly. Bye, Chiyo-chan!" And he hung up.

The phone was still sitting by Chiyo's ear. She had completely frozen up.

"Oi, Chiyo-chan, what's wrong?" Tomo asked.

Osaka hung up the phone, came back to the table, sat down, and said "Joe-chan is coming over."

"Really?" Tomo said.

"Wow, that's great!" Yomi said.

"Yes. And Yukari's driving him here." Osaka said.

Yomi and Kagura looked completely shocked. Tomo looked at Osaka.

Tomo closed her eyes, and clapped her hands together in the praying position.

"Well, he lived a good life" Tomo said.

Osaka did the same.

"Too bad he died young" Osaka said.

…

…

It was now almost 5:00. Chiyo was beginning to worry. She had had to drive for an hour in Yukari-sensei's car before, heading out to her summerhouse. Traffic wasn't all that bad, considering it was the country. But this was the city that they were going to be driving through. Chiyo started shaking again.

"Oi, Chiyo-chan, it will be ok" Yomi said. "Look on the bright side, at least the pets got on a nice, safe truck, away from Yukari and her driving."

"Yeah, I guess you're right", but Chiyo still seemed troubled.

WHAM!!

The door came flying open. Standing in the doorway was Yukari-sensei.

"Hello, everybody" Yukari said

Chiyo went zooming out the door, and stopped a few feet from Yukari's car. It had been 6 years now since she had ridden in the car, and she still couldn't even bear to touch it. Yomi had to come up and open the door, and they both stared at the poor soul that had now that fun of riding in Yukari's car.

He stared straight ahead, completely white. His breathing was long, hard breaths. He was grabbing on to both sides of his seat as if they were his lifelines.

"J-Joe-san?" Chiyo asked.

"C-C-Chiyo-c-c-chan. I d-d-don't want to d-d-die." Yomi undid his seat belt, and tried to pull him out. His hands would not let go of the seats.

"It's alright, now. The ride is over." Yomi said

Very slowly, he let go of the seat. Yomi helped him out of the car, and set him down on the ground. He was on his hands and knees, and trying to slow down his breathing.

Chiyo bent down. "Are you going to be all right?"

"Yeah, just give me a minute."

Then a wave of nausea his Joe as the full impact of what he had just been through hit him.

"Where's your bathroom?" He asked.

"First door on the right." Chiyo responded.

"Thanks." He ran as fast as he could toward the door to the bathroom.

"Glad to meet…" Kagura started, but never finished.

Joe ran into the bathroom, and threw up.

"It might be awhile before we hear from him again," Yomi said, walking back into the house. "His hands had a death grip on the seats."

"That's not good." Kagura responded.

Every person there heard Joe throw up again.

"I hope he didn't ruin anything in the interior," Yukari said

Everybody looked at Yukari, and sweat-dropped.

Chiyo walked into the bathroom.

"Are you alright?" Chiyo asked.

"I'll be fine. Could you please go and get my stuff out of that car?" Joe responded.

Chiyo started shivering.

"I…I can't."

"Oi, don't worry, Chiyo, I'll get it" Yomi responded, and whispered to Kagura. "Maybe you had better go explain to Joe why Chiyo is afraid of Yukari's car. Although it shouldn't need much explaining."

As Yomi walked out to get Joe's stuff, Kagura went over to Chiyo and Joe.

"Maybe you had better make some tea for him." Kagura said.

"That's a good idea," Chiyo said, still slightly sweating.

As Chiyo left, Kagura went over to the slightly sickened Joe.

"Hi, I'm Kagura. Sorry for the way Yukari-sensei drives."

"Heh heh. I'm Joe. I'm guessing by the way Chiyo reacted, she's ridden in Yukari's car."

"Heh heh. She was emotionally scarred in it 6 years ago."

This scared Joe a little bit.

"That long ago, and she's still afraid to even touch it?" Joe asked.

Kagura nodded her head.

Joe felt another wave of nausea.

"You may want to clear the room."

Just as Kagura left, she heard him throw up again.

Yomi had also come in with all of Joe's stuff.

"Good job, Yomi. Took you a while though." Tomo said.

"It would have been faster if you would have actually helped!" Yomi yelled.

Everybody heard a meow, and looked at the door. Tomo flinched, and started stepping back. Sakaki got a happy look on her face.

Mayaa came running in the door, and jumped into Sakaki's open arms.

Chiyo ran into the kitchen, made some tea, and ran into the bathroom, and put it on the floor next to Joe.

"This will make you feel better" Chiyo said.

Still has an innocent heart, Kaorin thought to herself.

"It might be a while before he comes out of there," Chiyo said, walking out of the bathroom.

Yukari seemed completely unaware of what all the fuss was about. "I thought he enjoyed it. I mean, he was screaming the entire time we were going."

Everybody sweat-dropped.

"Um, excuse me," a man said, ""I've got two pets here that are said to be delivered to this house."

"Yes, they were" Chiyo said.

Tadaichi came running up, jumped on Chiyo, and started licking her face.

The cat was still in a kennel. Chiyo took it, and let it out. The cat was a light brown, with black stripes. It looked around, and sniffed the air.

Even though Sakaki was holding Mayaa, she still blushed at the sight of this cat. The cat suddenly ran off in the direction of the bathroom, stood in the doorway, and let out a big "meow".

"**So glad to see you made it safely, Neko-san**" Joe said. He sounded better. "**Can't say the same for myself though**"

What a way to start off a trip to a foreign country, Yomi thought

…

…

Please review! Next Chapter: Hangover from the day, and a walk from Sakaki

P.S. Uchiha Itachi makes a surprise appearance in the next chapter!


	2. A Walk with Sakaki

Hangover from the day, and a walk with Sakaki

Author's Note: Uchiha Itachi makes a surprise appearance in this chapter!

* * *

Chiyo and all of her friends (and Yukari) had the best time talking about what they had done over the past 4 years. Joe had gotten over his nausea, and was now sipping tea, and enjoying listening to everybody talk while he was sitting at the table. 

Who would have thought Chiyo had so many friends in High school? Joe thought, as he sipped the rest of his tea, and set down the cup.

"Hey, Joe, how are you feeling?" Chiyo asked.

"Much better, thanks." Joe stood up, and walked out.

"I…heard you call your cat 'Neko-san' before" Sakaki asked.

"Yeah. I named it that way because I someday wanted to come to Japan." Joe said.

Neko-san had curled up into Joe's lap, and fallen asleep. Mayaa was curled up into Sakaki's lap, but was staring at Neko-san.

…

After talking for a while, and getting everybody introduced, it now came to about 6:00 pm.

Joe's stomach gave off a nasty growl.

"Hehe, guess I should go make something," Chiyo said.

"No way, Chiyo. I've finally made it to Japan, now I want to taste some of the best cuisine here. We can go out to eat, my treat!" Joe said.

Everybody cheered.

"And I can drive us there!" Yukari said.

Dead silence. Chiyo and Joe were both shaking.

"N-n-no thanks, y-y-Yukari-sensei. W-w-we can walk." Joe stammered.

"Oh, c'mon. I'm going with you, right? It'll be alright." Yukari said

Joe was running out of ideas to keep everybody out of Yukari's car.

"I'm sure that all of us won't be able to fit in your car."

"Oh, we could just call up Nyamo. She would be able to give us a ride." Yukari said.

"Oh, would she like some dinner, too?" Joe asked.

Thank god, Joe thought.

…

Nyamo showed up at Chiyo's about 6:30 (with a rental van at the request of Chiyo) and headed out to a restaurant.

About half way there, Joe asked to make one stop, at a specialty fruit store.

"Wonder what he wants?" Everybody wondered.

Everybody, except Chiyo, was kind of shocked when he came out with a container marked "Umeboshi".

"You do know those are sour, right?" Yomi said.

"He likes sour things," Chiyo said.

…

The restaurant was picked out by group vote (so anywhere with alcohol was out of the question), and they enjoyed their dinner, although they did have to teach Joe how to hold his broken-perfectly chopsticks.

"I can't believe you know how to break chopsticks evenly, but don't know how to hold them the right way" Yomi said.

…

They had gotten back to Chiyo's house at about 9:30.

"Well, I'd better get going. Nice to see you again, Chiyo" Yomi said.

"Bye" Tomo, Kagura, and Nyamo also left.

"Don't let him get anything," Yukari said to Chiyo with a nudge and evil grin as she left.

"Well, We'd better be going too." Kaorin said.

"I want to stay here, and talk to Chiyo some more" Sakaki said.

Kaorin sat back down. "Well, so do I"

Wait a minute… Could she be… Nah, must just be my imagination, thought Joe.

"Well, would you like to stay the night?" Chiyo asked.

"Sure." Sakaki responded.

"I might as well." Kaorin responded.

"Mind if I stay, too?" Joe asked.

"Sure." Chiyo said.

…

They had all slept in Chiyo's room. Tadaichi slept with Chiyo on her bed, Mayaa slept with Sakaki on her futon, and Neko-san slept with Joe, although Neko-san slept with his head on Joe's arm. Kaorin was sleeping on the other side of the Chiyo's bed.

…

Joe waited until he heard deep breathing from everybody before whipping out the new Naruto Manga book he had picked up from the airport, and a flashlight.

I've gotta finished this book, this chapter looks interesting, Joe thought, and read his book.

Joe finished his book, turned off the flashlight, and went to sleep.

…

Joe was facing off against Itachi.

Gotta remember, don't look into his eyes, Joe said, and then immediately looked into his eyes.

"Mangekyo Sharingan!" Itachi said

Crap! Joe thought.

He was sitting a car, buckled in. Itachi was standing outside, speaking in through the open window.

"In this dimension, I control space, time, and even the mass of objects. Starting now, you will be tortured for the next 72 hours. Drive on, Yukari."

Joe immediately got scared as he looked into the front seat.

"OK!" Yukari said from the front seat.

Joe screamed as the car went screaming from where it was sitting.

Joe opened his eyes.

He was still buckled into a car. He looked to his left to see Itachi talking to him in Yukari's car. He looked over to his right to see another Itachi.

He heard the other Itachi say:

"In this dimension, I control time, space, and even the mass of objects. You will be tortured for the next 72 hours."

Then they both said: "Drive on, Yukari"

"OK!" Yukari said, from the front of both cars.

Both cars screamed from the positions that they were in. Both Joe's were screaming.

…

Joe opened his eyes.

He was still buckled into the seat. He looked around to see multiple cars sitting around him.

"71 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds left" Itachi said.

"Drive on, Yukari" all of the Itachi's said.

"OK!" screamed all of the Yukari's.

All of the Joe's screamed as the cars screamed.

…

Joe snapped out of his dream, and sat straight up. He was breathing super hard, and his pupils were super small. He had sweat pouring all down his face.

He looked around to see everybody sleeping. He realized then that it had just been a dream, but a very scary dream. He was still shaking after going to the bathroom and splashing some cold water on his face.

"That's the last time I read a Naruto manga before going to sleep" he said to himself.

He was walking back to his futon, when he saw the two cats wrestling. He sat down to watch the cats wrestling. He even laughed a few times at the cuteness.

…

Sakaki woke up. Something bothered her. She looked over to find Mayaa was gone. She looked, saw that Chiyo, Kaorin, and Tadaichi were still sleeping, but Joe had already left his futon.

She heard him chuckle from outside the bedroom door, and went to look. He was staring down through the stairs guardrail, and was watching something. Sakaki stood up and looked over Joe to see what he was watching.

The two cats were wrestling with each other, but it was a playing kind of wrestling.

Sakaki blushed a little at this.

"You know, Sakaki, you can watch this with me if you want." Joe said, without looking back.

Sakaki was a little surprised by this. She hadn't made any noise whatsoever, and Joe had heard her get up.

"Uh, sure…" Sakaki said, and went to sit down by Joe.

They both watched their cats play on the floor, Joe was chuckling, and Sakaki was blushing at the cuteness both their cats were showing.

At one point, Joe looked over at Sakaki.

God, she's cute when she blushes like that, Joe thought.

"Hey, would you like to go for a walk with me?" Joe asked.

Sakaki was a little shocked. "Eh?"

"Ah…"Joe blushed. "You know, just for a walk around the neighborhood, to get to know it a little better."

"Sure" Sakaki answered.

…

They had both gotten dressed, and had left a note for Chiyo and Kaorin explaining where they had gone, and started to leave. Mayaa had noticed that Sakaki was leaving and jumped up to her. Neko-san just laid there, and eventually fell asleep. That's when they left.

"So, you became a vet, huh?" Joe started.

…

After a while, Kaorin woke up. She also sensed something was wrong. She looked over at Sakaki's futon, found it empty, went downstairs to find her, and instead found their note.

A burning hatred filled Kaorin's eyes.

"That…kid…"

…

…

Chiyo's dream

…

Everybody seemed to like Chiyo, but never wanted to talk to her around Joe. It seemed really strange. Finally, she asked Sara, a friend, about it.

"**Why doesn't anybody want to talk to me while Joe's around?**" Chiyo asked.

"**You know, for being Japanese, you speak almost perfect English?**" Sara responded, but continued. **"Do you have any idea what Joe is famous for, and why almost everybody is afraid of him?**" she asked Chiyo.

Chiyo shook her head.

Sara looked around to make sure nobody was listening, and whispered into Chiyo's ear.

Chiyo covered her mouth as she gasped.

…

Later, still in flashback, Joe doing homework with Chiyo

…

"Joe-san?" Chiyo asked.

"Yeah, Chiyo-chan?"

"I…" Chiyo didn't know how to phrase what she was about to say. "I…heard what you are famous for here."

"Eh?" Joe responded. He thought for a minute, and then looked over at Chiyo, and Chiyo looked back at him with a look of concern, and that's when it hit him…hard.

"Oh, that" Joe looked down at the floor, and sighed heavily.

"Heh" He looked back up at Chiyo with a smile "You don't need to worry about it. I only ever did it to the guys who were hazing me about joining a club" Then he looked down again. "But, it had a bad side effect. They went spreading rumors that I would do it to any person who made me mad. So everybody just stopped talking to me." Joe started clenching his fists. "But, I don't want to do it to any person." He looked at Chiyo determinedly "I only want to do it to those who enjoy harassing those with less power than themselves!" Chiyo smiled.

So, that's what it was, she thought.

Needless to say, she told Sara the next day, and Sara spread the word about Joe. Soon, all the clubs began losing involuntary members. And nobody tried hazing anybody about joining clubs anymore, not with the kid with the secret move around.

…

Out of flashback/dream

…

Chiyo finally woke up. She had enjoyed her dream about the past, and had also slept the best she had in 4 years, probably due to the fact that she hadn't slept on a futon in 4 years. It was already 10:30. Joe and Sakaki had been gone for two hours already.

…

Sakaki and Joe were enjoying their walk. Sakaki came to know Joe a little better, and Joe came to know Sakaki a little better. Turns out Sakaki had just finished being an assistant, and was going to take some time off before becoming a full-time veterinarian, though she was technically a trained vet.

Just then, Sakaki stopped. Joe stopped also, and saw what Sakaki saw.

It was a little gray cat. It yawned, looked at Sakaki, and almost seemed to perk right up.

Mayaa growled menacingly at the cat, and the cat got scared and ran away.

"Well, that was weird" Joe said.

"That was Kamineko," Sakaki explained. "He enjoys biting people. He always seems hostile towards me as well, but it's gotten really bad since I've had Mayaa."

"What do you mean?" Joe asked.

"Well, whenever I don't have Mayaa, and I try to pet him, he always bites me hard." Sakaki answered.

"Oh, that's right, I've been meaning to ask," Joe said. "What breed of cat is Mayaa anyway?"

Sakaki got the 'oh crap' look on her face

"Sakaki-san?" Joe asked

"He's… a mixed breed" Sakaki lied.

"I see," Joe responded. He knew she was lying, but he could ask Chiyo about it later.

In the shadows behind them, Joe picked up some movement, stopped, and looked back.

"What is it?" Sakaki asked.

Joe stood there, staring for a minute to try to see what had just made the movement.

"Nothing," Joe said.

…

In the shadows behind Joe and Sakaki

…

"Yeah, it's her. She's carrying the Yamamayaa with her. Request permission for action, sir?" The man said into a walkie-talkie.

"Denied" the walkie-talkie responded. "We need you to follow her for a few more weeks before we can get the warrant."

"Affirmative" the man said, obviously disappointed "Over and out"

…

Joe and Sakaki had returned from their walk, and had thoroughly enjoyed it.

"Well, thanks for walking with me" Joe said as both him and Sakaki walked toward the door. "I enjoyed it."

"No problem" Sakaki responded.

Joe opened the door to Chiyo's house.

"Hi everybody, we're back!" he yelled into the house.

His immediate response was Kaorin, running out from the kitchen, grabbing him, and pulling him real close.

"Where the hell have you been with Sakaki?!" Kaorin screamed.

"We…just went for…a walk," Joe responded, still a little shocked at this reaction.

"What the hell was I supposed to do while you were gone?!" Kaorin continued to yell.

"Uh…" Joe thought quickly "Play my Wii?"

Kaorin's rage built up to the max. She punched Joe as hard as she could, pulled Sakaki inside, and slammed Chiyo's front door, leaving Joe lying on the sidewalk, completely dizzy-eyed.

"Ah, Sakaki-san!" he heard Chiyo say. "Where's Joe?"

"He won't be back for a while." he heard Kaorin say.

"Today is going to be a bad day," Joe said to himself, as he continued to lie on the sidewalk, dizzy-eyed.

Author's notes: That little flashback at the beginning of the story will come into play in later chapters.

Next chapter: A fun summer. Start of the beach house saga.


	3. A Fun Summer, Start Beach House Saga

A fun summer. Start of the beach house saga.

* * *

After Joe got inside Chiyo's house, Tomo, Kagura, and Yomi came over, and everybody decided to go to the beach house. They were going to be staying for a week at the summerhouse. Although Chiyo's parents were going to watch over Tadaichi for the week, Mayaa and Neko-san would have to come along. Chiyo called up Nyamo, and she showed up in the one van they were going to take. Just one problem.

"With Joe along, there isn't enough space in the van for all of us." Nyamo said with a disappointed look on her face.

"So, what does that mean?" Joe asked.

Two honks from the end of the driveway, that made both Chiyo and Joe jump and shake nervously, answered the question

"Oh, no" Yomi said.

"Hey, Yomi" Tomo said, with an evil grin on her face, "Only you and Kagura haven't ridden in Yukari's car."

Both Kagura and Tomo started to get real nervous, as Yukari's car pulled up into Chiyo's front yard.

"How 'bout we just rock-paper-scissors for it?" Yomi asked nervously.

An evil look from both Chiyo and Joe, who were both terrible at Rock-Paper-Scissors, signaled Yomi's answer.

"Well, I've had a nice life" Yomi said, as she got into the car.

Kagura, on the other hand, was sweating profusely.

"I…I…" Kagura stammered. Yukari opened the door, and Tomo pushed her in.

Kagura and Yomi were about to drive through hell, and they knew it.

…

…

Osaka sat in the front of the van. Joe and Chiyo sat in the middle, while Sakaki and Kaorin sat in the far back. They were driving along when Yukari's car zoomed by, and Chiyo, Joe, and Kaorin flashed back to their rides, and began shaking uncontrollably.

Nyamo saw this in the rear view mirror, and sighed heavily.

That makes three already, Nyamo thought.

…

…

Along the way, Chiyo told all the fun times they had at the summerhouse.

"Except for one time," Nyamo said. "That was the time Tomo took the house key, and threw it into the bushes."

"I think that was about the same time you explained 'ero-ero' to all of them, didn't you?" Joe said with an evil grin.

Nyamo got an embarrassed look on her face.

Joe listened to all the stories, and then got an evil grin on his face.

"Hey, Chiyo, how about we get Tomo back for throwing the key?" Joe asked quietly.

"How are we going to do that?" Chiyo asked.

"Gather in," Joe said, as he began to tell all the juicy details of his plan to everyone in the van with him. As Joe whispered in her ear all the details of his plan, Chiyo slowly got an evil smile across her face.

What happened to that child innocence? Both Sakaki and Kaorin wondered, as they looked at Chiyo.

…

…

At the beach house, Joe and Chiyo walked up to Yukari's car (slightly shaking) and looked inside. Yomi was completely frozen in her seat, and Kagura had grabbed hold of the seats, and both were white.

Otherwise, Yukari and Tomo both got out of the car as if nothing had happened.

…

…

Officially, Day one at the beach house

…

…

They were all at the front door, and Chiyo pulled out a key. Before anybody could react, Tomo grabbed the key and threw it again.

A moment of silence.

"I did it again," she said.

The front door clicked open. Joe had opened the front door, and left Kagura, Yomi, Tomo, and Yukari speechless.

"Oh, that's right." Chiyo said "My parents told me they put locks on everybody's room door for us. So," She pulled out a handful of keys and gave everybody except Tomo one. "You need this key to get into your room. The doors are initially locked."

"Where's mine?" Tomo asked, completely clueless.

"You just threw it." Chiyo said, pointing to the grass where the key just went.

Tomo got a shocked look on her face, and then looked over at Yomi.

"No" Yomi said, with a very serious look on her face.

One by one, everybody told Tomo "No", and Tomo looked like she was about to cry.

"But…But…Where will I sleep?" And Tomo began to cry, and that's when Chiyo whipped out her cell phone, and took a picture, and Chiyo, Joe, and Kaorin began to laugh. Sakaki just kinda smiled to herself.

"Gotcha!" Chiyo, Joe, and Kaorin yelled to Tomo.

"Eh?" Tomo wondered.

"These were just some random keys I had made for this kind of occasion." Joe explained. "We knew you were going to do something stupid like that, so we set up a trap with the keys."

"Yup, there aren't really any locks on the individual doors." Chiyo said.

Tomo had her mouth opened, draping on the ground. Chiyo had just tricked her.

…

…

After bringing everything inside, they all immediately went down to the beach. Every last girl was wearing a bikini. Joe simply looked them over, and never even got a second thought.

"Ah, Sakaki!" Chiyo exclaimed.

Joe turned, took one look at Sakaki in her bikini (with the big boobs); and his eyes bulged, and he had to put both hands by his nose for the streaming nosebleed he got.

Everybody except Joe, Yukari, and Nyamo ran into the water.

Joe started thinking again.

Hm, he thought, even though I'm American, I still get a nosebleed here in Japan. Weird.

Yukari had seen what Joe did when he looked at Sakaki, got an evil idea, and said loud enough for Joe to hear.

"Tomo better be careful where she's swinging her hands, she might rip Sakaki's bra off"

Joe got another gushing nosebleed.

"I'll be right back," he said, as he ran into the house, Yukari snickering at the evilness she had just done.

Nyamo couldn't help but smile.

"That's evil, Yukari-chan," she said

"Yeah, I know" Yukari responded

…

…

Joe was inside, rubbing the blood off of his face, when Mayaa stood outside the bathroom door.

"Oh, crap, I completely forgot!" Joe said. "I need to ask Chiyo what kind of cat that is!"

Joe looked outside, and saw everybody having fun.

"Nah, guess I'll ask her later"

…

…

After a while, they all went back in the house.

"Ah, that's right, there is a festival this year that's close by" Chiyo said.

"But nobody brought their yukatas!" Tomo exclaimed.

"That's ok, we can run home and get them" Chiyo said.

Joe shivered slightly, but still had to be evil "I suppose since she's the faster driver, you'll be asking Yukari-sensei to take you"

Chiyo turned pale white.

…

…

Nyamo took everybody except Joe and Yukari (Yukari had told Nyamo where to find her yukata). While they were gone, Yukari and Joe were alone in the beach house.

As soon as everybody had left, Yukari turned to Joe.

"Let's go play some of that Wii," she said

She walked up the stairs to Joe's room. Joe followed.

…

…

They had all returned to find Yukari smiling, and Joe looking tired.

"Welcome back," Yukari said.

"What happened here?" Chiyo whispered to Joe.

"We had to play Wii sports until she won once. 51 flipping times" Joe whispered back, obviously exhausted.

Chiyo snickered a little bit.

…

…

Everybody went to the festival. At the festival, Sakaki spotted the exact same shooting game she had played that one year, except this time, the Nekokoneko doll was much bigger. She paid the 500 yen, and took her 10 shots at the doll. She missed 9 out of 10 shots.

OK, last shot, she thought to herself. She took aim, and fired.

She hit dead on, but Nekokoneko didn't budge. Even though she hit it, a sign clearly posted to the right said, "You must knock off the prize to win it". Sakaki looked disappointed when she heard a voice from her right.

"You need some help, Sakaki?"

Joe was on her right.

"I saw you hit the Nekokoneko doll. I could win it for you, if you like."

Sakaki blushed at this act of thoughtfulness. "Sure" she said.

Joe paid his 500 yen, and took the gun. He inspected the gun for a little bit, then took aim and fired.

Direct hit on the head of Neko, but the doll, once again, didn't budge.

Joe's glasses glinted as the old lady who was watching the booth snickered evilly.

Joe thought to himself for a moment, walked off to the left side of the booth, and looked on the outside.

What is he doing? Both Sakaki and the old lady wondered.

He then walked to the right side, took aim at the left wall, and fired.

The shot ricocheted off the pole that Joe had seen on the left side, hit Nekokoneko broadside, and knocked it off its perch.

The old lady and Sakaki were both stunned. Joe went and set the gun down, a big grin across his face.

"I believe I just knocked that doll down," Joe said in an almost bragging tone.

The old lady grumbled, and gave the big Nekokoneko doll to Joe. Joe then preceded to hand it Sakaki, who thanked him, blushing the entire time, and gladly took the doll.

There's that cuteness again, Joe thought

"So, win that for her, did ya?" Joe jumped at the voice, which he only recognized to be Yukari's.

"Um…" Joe blushed slightly. "Well, she wanted it, and I was glad to win it for her. Besides, I had heard that nobody had won at this booth all night." That last part was a lie to try to get him out of the situation he had put himself in.

"Sure, right, uh huh" Yukari said, not believing one word.

She twirled off in the opposite direction that Joe and Sakaki were. She was going to find the others, and she was going to spill the secret to everybody else.

Author's Notes: I realize that the first two chapters are longer than this one is. That's because the first two chapters were intended to be intro chapters. Henceforth, the other chapters will be something along the lines of this length.

Read and review!

Next Chapter: Scary stories


	4. Scary Stories

Scary Stories

They had all come back from the festival. Sakaki was still toting Nekokoneko with her, and everybody else was giving the "we know a dirty secret of yours" look to Joe.

Guess Yukari-sensei told them everything, Joe said, sighing deeply and sweat-dropping.

…

…

Back at the beach house, they all gathered around the table (except for Nyamo and Yukari, they sat on the couch) for their usual nighttime discussion.

"Alright, it's time for scary stories!" Chiyo said

"Suriya!" Tomo yelled, and tried to karate-chop Chiyo's head.

Everybody (except Joe) was once again surprised, when Chiyo did a "strike stopper" on Tomo's karate-chop.

Chiyo then proceeded to stand up, turn to her left, and flip Tomo over.

Tomo landed hard on her back, and Chiyo sat back down.

"Where in the world did you learn that?!" Yomi asked, completely shocked.

"Joe taught it to me. Your biggest worry in America is not getting shot, it's getting mugged."

"Really?" Tomo asked. She had gotten up off of the floor where Chiyo had just flipped her.

"Yeah. So Joe taught me how to defend myself." Chiyo responded.

Oh's went around the table.

Joe had actually been thinking with his eyes closed this entire time, and now he opened his eyes, and got an evil grin across his face.

"Hehe, I've got a scary story to tell," Joe said, his glasses glinting.

…

…

Everybody was shaking at the scary story Joe had just told them about themselves.

How Chiyo had died from a surprise knife that had been tied to the ceiling, how Yukari panicked, ran to her car, started it up, and died because the car exploded, how Yomi died from poison in her diet yogurts that were in the fridge, how Nyamo died from a bear trap-like thing in her futon that cut her body in half, how Tomo died from knives hidden in the chandelier above them when it came crashing down on her, how Osaka died from a well-placed shotgun in her closet, how Sakaki dies from a string that comes flying across the room and cuts her head off, and how Kaorin dies after Mayaa attacks her throat.

"And so, Kagura thought she had gotten away from the beach house of death alive. She hitched a ride on the nearest taxi. 'Go as fast as you can to Tokyo' she said. But the doors locked, and she heard a familiar voice on the speaker in the back. 'Too bad I can't let you leave alive' I said, as I turned so she could see my face. 'How could you do such a thing, especially to Chiyo-chan, your best friend!' Kagura screams. 'Oh, I think Chiyo forgives me' I say, as I hold up Chiyo's…severed head!"

Joe says, and chills go all around the room, especially from Chiyo.

"I then leave the cab, walk away, push a button, and watch as the cab explodes, and goes up in flames. I slowly walk away with a grin on my face, still holding Chiyo's severed head."

Everybody was stunned speechless. Joe had the biggest evil grin on his face, because he knew none of them would be sleeping tonight.

"Well, I'm going to bed, goodnight" Joe said, as he stood up, and went for his door, and before he shut it, he added, "Don't let me catch you sleeping"

Everybody shook again.

…

…

Joe's gut was right on. Nobody slept a wink that night. In fact, when he had made his midnight walk to the bathroom, everybody was watching and listening for him to do something murderous.

…

…

Day 2 of 7 at the beach house

…

…

Joe woke up the morning, feeling awesome. After having his morning bowl of breakfast cereal (which he actually had to bring along himself, considering most Japanese breakfasts are more than that), he checked on everybody. Neko-san, who had slept with Joe, was up. Mayaa, who was sleeping with Sakaki, opened her eyes to see who was peeking in on her, and then went back to sleep.

Guess I'll go for a walk, Joe thought, but first, a little fun…

…

…

Joe walked out to the beach, turned to the right, and started walking.

I'm going to get a huge kick when I walk in the house, he thought as he laughed to himself

…

…

It was about 1:00 in the afternoon when everybody finally woke up.

"That Joe" Yukari whined, "I wasn't able to fall asleep until about 5:00 this morning."

"He can sure tell scary stories," Yomi said. Sakaki nodded her head in agreement.

Nyamo noticed Tomo, who was standing in Chiyo's darkened doorway.

"Tomo?" Nyamo asked, and went to look.

She saw the shocked look on Tomo's face, saw what Tomo saw, and also got that scared look on her face.

There, in the dark room, was Chiyo's head, separated completely from the rest of her body. And walking out of the room were footprints. Bloody footprints.

…

…

It was about this time that Joe came back from his walk on the beach.

He opened the door to the beach house.

"Hi, everybody, I'm back." Nobody was there.

"Huh, that's weird, I thought they would be up by now." he said, and walked into the center of the room.

"NOW!" Yomi screamed at the top of her lungs. Tomo, Kaorin, Sakaki, Yomi, Yukari, Nyamo, Osaka, and Kagura all jumped Joe.

…

…

Joe lay tied up on the floor, tape across his mouth.

"We won't let you kill anymore of us!" Kagura screamed.

Joe sweat-dropped.

"OK, so, what do we do with him?" Yomi asked.

"I say we throw him in Yukari's car, and start it up so it explodes on him!" Tomo said

"Still stuck on that story, huh?" Chiyo said.

"No, we're deciding what to do with Joe since he killed you, Chiyo" Tomo said.

It took a second to realize what had just happened, and everybody jumped away from Chiyo.

"She's a ghost, come back to haunt us!" Osaka said.

"Ghost?" Chiyo asked, as she yanked the tape off of Joe's mouth.

"OW!" Joe said. "Thanks, Chiyo. Now, as soon as you untie me, I can explain."

Chiyo started, but Yomi stopped her.

"How about you explain, and then we untie you?" Yomi said in a threatening manner.

…

…

Turns out Joe had made the room purposefully dark so that nobody could see what Joe had really done. He had just covered everything but Chiyo's head with a dark blanket, and then taken some of Chiyo's clothes, stuffed them to make them look like they had something in them, and placed them on the ground to make Chiyo's head and body look separated.

They untied Joe after this lengthy explanation, and he went and showed them that it was true.

"But what about the bloody footprints?" Kagura asked

Joe took a wet towel, and rubbed off the stains.

"Just marker. I covered my shoes in red marker, and walked out. I got the marker off of my shoes in the beach water after I left the house."

"Ha, I knew it all along," Yukari said, laughing.

Everybody sweat-dropped.

Everybody was (once again) back swimming, except Joe and Chiyo. Joe had asked Chiyo to stay behind to ask her something.

"Chiyo, I've been meaning to ask, what kind of cat does Sakaki have?"

"She has an Iriomote cat." Chiyo said, not giving it a second thought about telling Joe.

"Iriomote cat?" Joe asked. Though he knew many of the different cat species and breeds, he had never heard of an Iriomote cat.

"Yes, it's a cat found in the mountains of Okinawa." Chiyo explained. "Although Sakaki couldn't take it home with her, Mayaa somehow found Sakaki. Mayaa views Sakaki as almost his surrogate mother."

"Hm…" Joe thought for a moment. "Well, thanks, Chiyo. Say, where's the ladder?"

"Ladder?" Chiyo asked.

"Yeah. I can't get a very good reception with my laptop out here, but if I could get on your roof, I might be able to get a reception." Joe responded

…

…

Chiyo was amazed at Joe's technical abilities. Using a few paper clips, he had managed to make something of an antenna, and had attached to the roof, which he then ran a copper wire tied to it to his laptop, and had gotten all 5 bars on his laptop connection to light up.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Chiyo asked.

"They call themselves the "Geek squad" in America" Joe joked.

Chiyo laughed, and went to join the others on the beach.

Meanwhile, Joe did his research on the Iriomote cat.

…

…

Joe was lying down on the couch, glasses off, with his cat lying on the back of the couch, and Mayaa lying on the opposite leg that Joe's head was on.

He had figured out now why Sakaki had lied to him. The Iriomote cat was an endangered species. It's illegal to own endangered species.

Mayaa suddenly jumped down, and ran toward the door. Joe lay there, and pretended to be asleep, while still keeping one eye open just enough to see what was going on.

Sakaki came walking in the door, and Mayaa jumped into her arms.

Joe stood up, put his glasses on, and smiled.

"…Mayaa views Sakaki as almost her surrogate mother" Chiyo's words echoed in Joe's head, when he saw how happy both Mayaa and Sakaki looked.

"Hey, Sakaki" Joe said.

Sakaki turned her attention toward Joe.

"I've been meaning to ask you, whatever happened to Mayaa's mother?"

Sakaki went silent, and looked in a different direction.

The smile disappeared off of Joe's face. "I see."

Mayaa jumped down from Sakaki's arms.

I wonder, Joe thought.

Joe, without warning and completely surprising Sakaki, went up and gave her a hug.

…

…

Down at the beach, Kaorin sensed a disturbance.

…

…

Wow, she's warm. And she's almost as tall as I am. Joe thought

"Sorry I had to bring back those awful memories for you," Joe said with a smile, after letting Sakaki go. He then walked into his room, and sat down.

I can't let that be broken up by the simple fact that it's illegal. Even if Mayaa is part of an endangered species, it's obvious that both Mayaa and Sakaki love each other. I can't split that up. Nobody should.

Read and Review, please!

Next chapter: Fun with Osaka and Kaorin


	5. Fun with Osaka and Kaorin

Fun with Osaka and Kaorin

* * *

Day three of seven at the beach house.

Nothing new or exciting happened. Mostly swimming time from everybody.

Day four of seven at the beach house.

Joe woke up, and walked out to the balcony where Kaorin was standing. She was taking pictures of Sakaki and Chiyo, doing their morning exercises to the morning radio.

Joe raised an eyebrow as he watched Sakaki and Chiyo for a minute, and then looked over at Kaorin.

"What 'cha doin'?" Joe asked.

"Enjoying the scenery" Kaorin responded without even looking.

"Right," Joe said

Just as Kaorin was about to take another picture, Tomo jumped right in front of her lens.

A moment of silence.

"You really enjoy ticking people off, don't you?" Joe asked Tomo.

He never got a response. Kaorin jumped off the balcony, and took pictures all along the way.

As she fell, Joe just watched, and when she hit the ground, he just sighed and sweat-dropped.

Tomo pushed him from behind. He managed to just stop himself from falling off.

"I thought you wanted to go with her," Tomo said with a huge smile.

Tomo went flying off the balcony, though not of her own will.

…

Joe went back inside to see Osaka standing there, with the usual expression on her face.

"What?" Joe asked

"Why do they call it a hamburger if it's made from beef, and not ham?" Osaka asked.

Joe just stood there, completely awed. Where in the world did this come up? he thought

"Um…I guess because the person naming it thought it would be funny to put ham in it?" Joe said

Osaka was completely silent.

"Osaka?" Joe went up and waved his hand in front of her face. No response.

"Don't mind her," Yomi said. She had just gotten done eating one of her diet yogurts for breakfast. "She's off in her own little world. She'll be back in a minute."

Joe stood there for a minute, taking in that piece of information, and then, without warning, flicked Osaka on the forehead.

No response.

"Huh?" Joe flicked Osaka's forehead again, and got no response again.

Joe sighed. "Told you" Yomi said.

Joe was determined to prove her wrong now. He cracked his knuckles, took a deep breath, and threw his punch.

Joe wasn't used to hitting someone who he knew wouldn't hit back, so he had closed his eyes.

He opened them to see he had missed completely, and Osaka's head was tilted just enough so that he had missed.

"Why does my forehead hurt?" Osaka asked, still bearing the same stare.

I look into her eyes, and one thing comes to mind, Joe thought with a sweat-drop, space for rent.

"This space is not for rent," Osaka said

Joe jumped so far back he hit the opposite wall. She can read my mind?! he thought.

She then tilted her head to the other side.

"But this space is" she said.

Joe had realized precisely what had just happened, and was now trying to slow down his heartbeat.

"You tried to enter Osaka's world, didn't you?" Yomi said, having witnessed all of what had just happened.

"Something like that," Joe responded

…

Everybody ran outside the beach house. This time, though, Joe was actually going to join them. He was running a little bit behind, and had gotten caught up in the bathroom.

…

Joe sighed deeply.

Why do I have to have such a non-beach body? He wondered as he looked at his upper body in the mirror.

No tan whatsoever. In fact, he was considered by everybody in the college he and Chiyo had attended to be a pale ghost. He also had absolutely no muscle to speak of, making this claim even more viable.

He sighed again.

Guess I'll just have to go out like this, he thought, as he walked out the door. The towel he was carrying had something wrapped in it.

He noticed everybody was stopped, and they were all staring down at the beach.

"How in the world did he find us here?" Yomi asked.

"I…don't know" Kagura responded.

"Looks like we won't get any beach time today" Nyamo said.

Joe looked at all of their faces. They all looked slightly disgusted, except for Kaorin, who looked like she was about to pass out from sheer shock. He looked down at the beach to see what they were all disgusted about.

There sat a man, in a full-body green with white striped swimsuit. He had small glasses on, and his mouth was draping open. He was looking ou into the ocean.

"Kimura-sensei" Osaka said. Kaorin let out a blood-curling scream, and passed out.

"Well, I don't know about you girls, but I spent a good five minutes in front of the mirror worrying about my beach body, and now I'm going in." Joe said

Joe ran down to the beach, as all of the girls stood there.

"He's got it lucky. He's a guy" Yukari responded.

Joe stopped right at the water line, and looked down at the guy with glasses. He seemed to be staring at something.

Joe was thinking again.

He walked over to Kimura.

"Hello" Joe said pleasantly.

Kimura turned and looked at him.

"Ah, an American. Hello." Kimura responded, and turned back out to look at the water.

"So, um…" Joe thought for a little bit. "What are you staring at?"

"The ocean in all it's beauty" Kimura responded. "What do you have wrapped in your towel?"

Joe smiled, as he unwrapped his towel to reveal…

Kimura looked back.

"A soda?" Kimura asked.

"Not just any soda," Joe held it up.

…

Everybody saw what Joe was holding for Kimura to see, and Chiyo looked shocked.

"What it is?" Osaka asked

"It's Joe's super soda. He must have brought it with him" Chiyo said. "That stuff has three times as much sugar and caffeine than any other soda."

Everybody was shocked at this news. They looked back to see…

"Oh, no," Chiyo said.

…

Joe had already guzzled down the entire can of soda.

"You know that's not good for you," Kimura said. "Eh?"

Joe began to shake slightly. He felt all the caffeine and sugar running throughout his body.

"Ya-" He got ready to run "-hoo!!"

He took off running. A cloud of sand kicked up behind him.

Joe was now literally running on water. He ran way out, so nobody could see him, and then came running back. Water kicked up on both sides of him as he ran.

…

Joe went running by a speedboat.

"Good morning!" Joe yelled out, and he continued to run on.

The speedboat captain just watched, but the waves from Joe caught him off guard, and the boat overturned.

…

Joe came running back on the water. He was a few feet away from the beach when he just stopped.

"Darn. Out of caffeine and sugar. Eh?" He looked down to see he was still on water, and not on the beach.

"Bugger" He instantly sank into the water.

At this point, Sakaki went running into the water, and started swimming out to get him.

"Ah, that's nice" Kimura said, as he watched Sakaki go by.

Sakaki carried Joe back onto the beach, and put him down.

"Hey, Sakaki," Joe said

"Yes?" Sakaki said.

"I need mouth to mouth resuscitation." He said, with a grin on his face, and he puckered up.

Kaorin instantly forgot about Kimura, went running down onto the beach, and firmly stuck one foot on Joe's face.

"Not in your life!" Kaorin screamed, as Joe struggled for air.

"Ah, Kaorin" Kaorin lost all her anger, and slowly looked up, as she felt fear all over. "It's been four years now, hasn't it?" Kimura said.

Kaorin just stared at him for a minute, sweating profusely. Then she passed out.

As her foot came off of his face, Joe came up gasping for air.

"You should all come down and get a full body tan," Kimura said.

Sakaki looked horrified. Joe went into a depression state.

"My…pale…white…complexion" he whispered softly.

…

Nighttime, back in the house

…

"…So I made sure to buy plenty of them before the came off the market." Joe finished.

He had just told the story of how he had gotten hold of that particular kind of soda.

"Hey, you should give me some" Tomo said

Joe looked at her with the straightest face. "No"

"Why not?" Tomo said

"Because you are already full of energy. You don't need any more, especially of this caliber. Who knows what would happen?" Joe said.

"Maybe her energy level would overload and she would explode" Osaka said.

Everybody sweat-dropped, and then Joe got an idea. "We should give some to Osaka"

Everybody looked at Joe like he was crazy.

"Think about it. She rarely ever has any energy to speak of. What were to happen if we gave her something like that?" Joe said.

Everybody gave "oh"s as they thought about what might happen.

"All right. Let's try it!" Yomi said

Everybody agreed.

Snoring could be heard from Osaka's part of the table.

"She's fast asleep already." Yomi stated.

"Awwww" Joe said. He was really interested to see what sugar and caffeine would do to low-energy Osaka.

Joe then decided he would go to bed. He knew the thought of an energetic Osaka was going to keep him awake all night.

"Well, good night" he told everyone.

He walked into his room, and walked back out with a blood vessel popping out of his head.

"Yukari fell asleep in my bed" Joe said, obviously irritated.

Nyamo walked into the doorway, and looked at everybody.

"She is" Nyamo said.

Tomo started laughing very loudly. "Yukari…fell asleep…in your bed!" She said between laughs.

"You can show your anger now" Yomi said.

"I think I will," Joe said, as he cracked his knuckles.

"You wouldn't hit a woman now, would you?" Tomo said, pointing to her face, egging Joe on to hit her.

WHAM!!

Joe had hit her full force.

"You're not a woman, you're an idiot" Joe said very calmly.

"Very nice" Yomi said with a smile.

Tomo was knocked completely unconscious, lying on the floor with a fist imprint on her face.

"So, I guess you'll have to sleep in Yukari's bed then" Nyamo said.

"You're kidding, right?" Joe said, looking at Nyamo.

Needless to say, Yukari's room was best described as a tornado, earthquake, typhoon, and flood disaster area all in one.

"Well, you could always sleep in one of our rooms" Chiyo said

Awkward silence.

Joe looked over at Chiyo, who had that innocent child smile that she had never lost. But what he really noticed was Kaorin, who was sitting right behind her.

Joe flashed back to the beach, and smiled evilly.

"OK, then. I'll sleep with Sakaki-san" Joe said.

Kaorin popped a vessel in her head.

Joe just smiled, but in an evil way.

"Well, you do have to kind of get Sakaki to agree with you" Yomi said.

"I've got Neko-san, and he likes to sleep with Mayaa" Joe said without missing a beat.

"I'm fine with it" Sakaki said quickly.

Kaorin fell to the floor.

…

As they were going to bed, Kaorin watched Sakaki go into her room.

"Good night, Sakaki" she said, blushing the entire time.

"Good night" Sakaki responded in that monotone voice of hers.

Joe walked up with a big smile on his face, and Kaorin looked angry.

"Good night, Kaorin" Joe said, as he walked into the room.

That kid, Kaorin thought as her anger was building up.

"Good night, Kaorin" Kaorin heard Kimura's voice from Sakaki's room.

Kaorin passed out on the floor in the hallway.

"You're really good at voice impersonations, Sakaki said.

"I've practiced" Joe said.

…

Both Sakaki and Joe got ready for bed. If you were looking at the futon, Joe was sleeping on the right side, Sakaki on the left.

As they were going to bed, they noticed that both of their cats came right up by their heads. Neko-san laid down first, and curled up. Mayaa then came, and curled up right beside him, on Sakaki's side.

Both Sakaki and Joe just looked at both the cats, which were lying there, sleeping. Sakaki blushed at the cuteness. Joe noticed her blushing.

"You know," he said as he took off his glasses, "you're cute when you blush like that" and with that, he turned over and fell asleep.

Sakaki was surprised by this statement.

I'm…cute…when I…blush, Sakaki thought, and blushed even more, as she looked at Joe.

Joe, thank you, she thought as she fell asleep.

Sakaki had chosen to fall asleep watching the cats, but Joe had his back turned away from the cats when he fell asleep.

Author's notes: I end this chapter here. R & R!

Next Chapter: Morning fun and afternoon walks.

P.S. Love Hina makes a surprise appearance in the next chapter!


	6. Day 5 of 7 at the Beach House

Day 5 of 7 at the beach house

* * *

Kaorin woke up the next morning, quickly got dressed, and exited her room. She stopped in the hallway outside Sakaki's room to find Tomo taking pictures. When she saw what Tomo was taking pictures of, she almost passed out.

Sakaki's arms were wrapped around Joe, and Joe's arms were wrapped around Sakaki. The biggest shocker to Kaorin, though, was that Joe's right cheek was pressed up against Sakaki's breasts. And both of them were smiling.

…

Sakaki's dream

…

She dreamed she was hugging with every last cat on the planet. The were so warm next to her body.

…

Joe's dream

…

He was hugging his cat, which was warm next to his body. But he was also lying on the most comfortable pillow he had ever laid on.

…

Back to reality

…

Kaorin started breathing heavily. Tomo continued to take pictures as fast as she could, and now she was giggling.

"I…Is anybody else up?" Kaorin asked.

"Only Chiyo-chan, but she was downstairs, eating breakfast" Tomo responded

"What's all the commotion?" Yomi asked. Both her and Kagura had gotten up, and had come to see what the commotion was about.

"Come take a look for yourselves" Tomo responded

Both Kagura and Yomi came to look, and both of them gasped. Not at the fact that they were hugging each other in their sleep, but the fact that Joe's face was on Sakaki's breasts.

Sakaki was now awake, and slowly opened her eyes. She softly stroked something, and she realized it didn't feel like cat's fur at all. She looked down, and she immediately blushed in embarrassment.

Joe was still sleeping, with that grin on his face.

Guess it's time to wake him up, Yomi thought. "Oi, Joe!" she yelled

Joe slightly opened his eyes. Although he didn't have his glasses on, he could clearly make out that 4 people were standing in the doorway.

"Go away, let me sleep," Joe said, still in a half-asleep state, and buried his face in what he thought was a super soft pillow, and pulled closer what he thought was his cat.

Sakaki blushed harder in embarrassment.

"Joe! Look at what your face is on!" Yomi yelled.

Joe opened one eye just a little, and he saw that what he had his face on was not a pillow.

What in the world is this? he wondered

"Uh, J…J…Joe…" Sakaki stuttered, still blushing in embarrassment.

Joe's one open eye slowly looked up, and he very clearly saw Sakaki's face. His one eye then followed down her body to where his head was lying.

He then realized where his head was. Both his eyes shot fully open as he realized it, and moved very quickly to the opposite wall.

"S..S…Sorry, Sakaki, I didn't realize..." Joe started.

"I…It's alright," Sakaki said. "I'm sure you didn't know…"

Tomo started laughing loudly. "And I've got pictures of the whole incident!" She stated loudly.

"Not quite" Chiyo was leaning up against the wall right next to the door, and she was smiling evilly. She had snuck up so silently that nobody had heard her.

"What do you mean by not quite?!" Tomo yelled.

Chiyo held something up. "Missing something?" she said

Tomo recognized it as film. She quickly opened up her camera's film holder to find it empty. Rivers started to flow from her eyes.

Chiyo just continued to smile. "When I woke up early this morning, I saw those two like that. I knew Tomo would try to do something evil like that, so I found her camera and took the film out of it."

Amazing, Yomi thought in shock, not only does she have the genius, but now she's using it, too!

Tomo tried to grab the film out of Chiyo's hand, but Chiyo quickly flipped it into her hand.

"We'll give you two a minute alone" Chiyo said, and calmly closed the door.

"You seem very calm about all of this, Chiyo-chan" Yomi said, her glasses glinting as if she were on to something.

Chiyo just smiled, and laughed quietly. "It's about time he got a girlfriend. I just didn't think it would start out that way." She said as she walked downstairs

"You mean he's never had a girlfriend?!" Kagura said in shock, as they all followed Chiyo downstairs.

Nobody had noticed, but Kaorin had pressed her ear against the door.

…

Sakaki was still blushing in embarrassment. Joe had managed to grab his glasses and put them on, but he was also blushing in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, Sakaki" Joe started. "I…didn't realize where I was, and I tend to roll around in my sleep."

"That's alright," Sakaki said quietly.

"I've got to say, though, you're very warm," Joe said sincerely, as he blushed harder.

Sakaki blushed harder, but this time it was because Joe was complementing her.

Joe looked over, his face turning back to normal. "God, you're cute when you blush"

Sakaki continued to blush, and this time, was smiling.

"Thanks" Sakaki said.

"Well," Joe said as he stood up. "I think it's time we got a start to our day. I'm just glad Chiyo was covering for us, otherwise we would have had to deal with Tomo possibly black-mailing us with those pictures."

Sakaki nodded in agreement, as she stood up and stretched out.

Joe moved too quickly for Sakaki to react, but he gave her another hug. He was only about 4 cm taller than her, so it was a full body hug.

…

Outside, Kaorin felt like she had been kicked in the stomach.

…

Sakaki blushed. He's very warm too, she thought.

Joe let go, walked out the door, and closed it.

He was then choked by Kaorin.

"What were you doing to Sakaki?!" She screamed

"Nothing" Joe barely managed to get out. Kaorin had the death grip on his neck, and wasn't letting go.

"I knew you just wanted to get close to Sakaki when you asked to sleep in her room!" Kaorin screamed.

Sakaki then opened the door, and walked out of the room, fully dressed.

Kaorin immediately let go of Joe's neck (Joe took a deep breath of air, and started coughing) and Kaorin kicked him against the wall at the end of the hallway.

"Good morning, Sakaki" Kaorin said

"Morning" Sakaki said in her cool monotone voice

She walked by Kaorin (who was standing there admiring), and walked to Joe. She stopped for a second, smiled, and then went downstairs.

Joe was smiling as he watched her walk down the stairs. He then very quickly got up to keep his eyes on Kaorin, who looked ready to kill him again.

…

After the whole morning escapade, everybody decided rather than go swimming (like they had done the past 4 days) they would simply go for a walk along the beach.

…

Kaorin continued to just stare at the ocean while everybody else talked about random stuff.

Suddenly, Tomo kicked up water into the air to try to get everybody wet.

Everybody had been watching Tomo, though, saw this coming, and easily jumped out of the way.

"Seriously, Tomo" Joe said, "I think everybody here pretty much knows when you are planning on doing something evil."

Tomo pouted, obviously disappointed that she had missed everybody.

"Hey, what's that?" Nyamo asked.

Everybody looked to see what Nyamo was asking about.

It was what looked like an old beaten-down shack. Outside was a sign that said "Hinatasou Tea House"

"Oh, good. I could use some tea," Nyamo said.

"And I could use some sake!" Yukari yelled

"No you don't!" Everybody yelled.

They all walked inside.

"Hello, welcome to Hinatasou tea house. You're lucky, you're our last customers of the day." The girl standing in front had long flowing blonde-brownish hair, and the air around her just seemed to sparkle.

"Oh, good" Joe responded.

"By the way, my name is Naru Narusegewa. Please let me know if there is anything you need" Naru said.

"Iced tea, please" Nyamo said

"Cola!" Chiyo said.

"Beer!" Yukari said

"Did I hear someone request an alcoholic drink?" Kitsune poked her head out of the kitchen.

"All right! We have ourselves another drinker!" Yukari yelled enthusiastically.

"She has an Osaka accent," Osaka said

"Well now, isn't this a treat? I get to meet with a alcohol drinker and another person from Osaka."

Tomo then ran up to Kitsune and pointed at her.

"Are you Osaka's big sister?" Tomo asked

Kitsune just stood there with a confused look on her face, while everybody else sweat-dropped.

My god, she is that stupid, Joe thought

…

Needless to say, the rest of the night did not end well, with Yukari drinking until she was sick to her stomach.

After they all got back to the beach house, they all went to bed. Joe, however, had no idea he was going to have another bad dream that night.

…

Author's notes: Review please!

Next Chapter: Fighting for a day of living out a dream


	7. Fighting for a Day of Living out a Dream

Fighting for a day of living out a dream

* * *

Day 6 of 7 at the beach house

Joe's Dream

…

This time he was fighting against Garaa of the Sand.

"Desert Coffin!" Garaa said, and trapped Joe in his sand.

Oh, no, now here comes Desert Funeral, and I die, Joe thought.

"Car Funeral!" Garaa said.

Car funeral? That's not right, Joe thought.

Instantly, the sand let go, and dropped Joe into a car, and he was immediately buckled in.

"Well, then, time to go!" Yukari said from the front of the car

Oh, no, not again, Joe thought

"Have fun" Garaa said, with that psychotic smile on his face.

The car drove on, and then eventually went off a cliff.

"Good thing I have an ejector seat for the driver only!" Yukari said, and immediately ejected from her seat.

The last thing Joe saw was the car crashing into jagged rocks.

…

Joe snapped awake, with the same thing going as he had with the first dream.

"I'm now scarred for life. Thanks a lot, Yukari" Joe said sarcastically.

Joe checked his clock. It was midnight.

Guess I'm not sleeping anymore tonight, he thought. Wonder what everybody else is dreaming.

Joe sat up, turned on his Nintendo DS, and played for a while. After about an hour, he got bored, got up, and went down to sit at the table.

He flashed back to all the fun times he and Chiyo had. When he taught her chess, and she taught him Shogi, among other favorite memories.

Joe snapped out of his flashbacks. It was still only 1:30.

Joe sighed heavily. This was going to be a long day.

…

Morning (finally)

…

The sun peaking up on the horizon signaled morning. Joe was up, stretching out arms and legs. What amazed him was that they didn't feel in any way worn out or tired, like they usually do from lack of sleep.

Then Chiyo walked out the door. She had a determined-happy look on her face.

"It's been a while since I've fought you, Joe-san," she said.

Joe smiled. "I guess it has"

They both took a defensive stance.

"Ready…" Joe said

"Set…" Chiyo responded.

"Go!" They both said.

Both of them launched themselves at each other.

…

Sakaki woke up to Neko-san licking her face. This told her that Joe was already up, but she couldn't help but blush at Neko-san's cuteness.

She got up and went onto the balcony. That's when she saw it.

Chiyo and Joe were fist-fighting.

She could see that the both of them were enjoying it, but they were also fighting their hearts out. Even though their punches and kicks were flying through the air at super speeds, neither of them was landing anything.

Chiyo was then airborne, with one fist getting caught by Joe's hand, her knee came up to smack him. Joe blocked with his elbow, as Chiyo's other arm swung around to hit Joe on the back of the head. Joe whipped around, and just barely managed to catch Chiyo's fist. Her back was now right above his head. That's when he saw it, all too late. Chiyo's free leg, the last thing that Joe had to block, was bending back to kick Joe in the face. This was a weak point, because Joe had nothing else to use to block it. Joe bent his head back, and Chiyo's back kick just missed. Her leg was too short to actually hit him, he just needed to bend his head a little bit back to avoid being hit. Chiyo then put weight on her fists that were in Joe's hands, and pushed off. Joe let go, and Chiyo spun herself, and landed on the ground on her feet.

Sakaki could only watch in amazement as Joe and Chiyo went at it some more. They finally backed away from each other, and fell to the ground, exhausted.

"Nice job, Chiyo. You've definitely improved" Joe said between breaths.

"I've been practicing" Chiyo responded.

A moment of silence passed as they both regained their breath, and then they just both stared at the sunrise.

"Hey Chiyo," Joe said. "What's a dream of yours?"

"Well, I've always wanted to be cool and tall, like Sakaki" Chiyo said.

Sakaki's eyes glistened as she heard this. She had always wanted to be cute and short like Chiyo, but she knew that could never happen.

"Do you think Sakaki ever wanted to be like you, Chiyo? I mean, as far as being short and cute?" Joe asked.

Sakaki's interest immediately perked up. She was now listening intently.

"Why do you ask?" Chiyo said.

"You remember that tea house we were at yesterday?" Joe asked. Chiyo nodded her head "There is a kendo girl there that specializes in spiritual stuff. I talked to her yesterday, so that's how I know. But she might be able to perform a spirit switch on you two to make you switch bodies."

"Seriously?" Chiyo asked, obviously interested. Sakaki was listening very intently now, having to hold on to the railing of the balcony because she was shaking so hard. A chance to be cute? Surely he must be joking.

"But it would only be for a day." Joe added.

Of course, Sakaki thought. There's always a catch. But still, even if it were for a day, it would still be enough for her.

"Well, I'll go see if Sakaki's awake and ask her" Chiyo said.

"You don't need to" Joe said, as he looked behind Chiyo. "She's already awake, and standing on the balcony." Joe pointed, and Chiyo looked. Sakaki was standing there with a determined look on her face. She was nodding her head as if to agree.

…

After Joe, Chiyo, and Sakaki had eaten breakfast; they headed out to the teahouse. They got there to find the kendo girl, Motoko, sitting there in a meditation state.

"I know what you have come here for, and I'll tell you right now, I won't do it." she said without even opening her eyes.

Then Sakaki did something that neither Chiyo nor Joe expected. She went right up to Motoko, and looked her straight in the face. Motoko opened her eyes, and looked straight into the eyes of Sakaki.

"Please" Sakaki said in a voice that was barely audible.

Motoko then stood up, and smiled. "All right, then. But first, I want to test a loyalty here." She threw a sword at Joe, who juggled it around before finally catching it.

"I challenge you. If you win, I will do what you wish. If you lose, you must work at the teahouse in my place today…for free," Motoko said with a smile.

Joe took a deep breath, took the sword out of the holder, and held it forward. "I accept your challenge." He wasn't doing it for himself, he was doing for Chiyo and Sakaki, who wanted more than anything not to be themselves, but each other.

"I mean all three of you" Motoko said with a smile.

Both Chiyo and Sakaki were surprised by this statement, but they still nodded their heads in agreement.

The smile disappeared off of Motoko's face. "Fine, then. ZanKouSen!" She yelled, and whipped up some wind, that blew by all three of them, but left a few rips in Joe's shirt, and also left scratches where those rips went in his shirt.

"So, you want to be serious, do you?" Joe said, and took off his shirt. The new scratches that had been left by the previous attack were now bleeding, but that didn't seem to bother him. He tossed his sword far up in the air, and charged at Motoko.

"ZanKouSen!" Motoko yelled again. She kicked up some more wind, but Joe expected it. He charged right through (now getting more scratches, even a few on his face). Motoko then swung her sword to cut through Joe so that he would end up on the ground. Joe stopped her sword with a strike stopper. They stood there for a minute.

It was then that Joe's sword came flying down and stuck in the sand. Motoko saw a few of her hairs fly down to the ground, as well as a deep gash open on her face. Joe's determined face stared back at her as her anger welled up.

"Why, you…" Motoko pulled the sword out of the strike stopper, and jumped back. Joe took this moment to grab his own sword.

Meanwhile, Sakaki and Chiyo just watched from the sidelines.

Joe then pulled out from his back pockets some sharp cutting knives he had taken from the kitchen before they had left. He threw those up into the air, and Motoko watched them. She then looked back down to see Joe charging at her.

She quickly calculated that both the kitchen knives from above and Joe from below were going to hit her at the same time. She jumped out of the way so that the kitchen knives wouldn't hit her, and blocked Joe's sword swing with her sword.

Joe's fist came out to hit her, but it wasn't far enough. Motoko just smiled.

Not far enough, Motoko thought.

Then from nowhere, a kitchen knife came flying down. Joe opened his fist, grabbed it, and flipped it in his hand so that the pointed edge was at Motoko's neck.

Game over.

Motoko was stunned. "But…how…?" she asked.

"I watched your eyes when I threw the knives up into the air. You're eyes followed them. So I threw two knives in two separate directions, away from the group of knives, and charged you. You were so intently caught in the group of knives and myself, that you never noticed the one that was flying higher than the other ones." Joe explained

Motoko's face turned serious as she realized how she had been caught. "So, the knives you threw first were just made attract my attention away from the real attack."

"Correct," Joe said with a smile.

"But, where did the other one go?" Motoko asked.

"It went to the opposite side of the group of knives, in case you jumped in the other direction." Joe said

Motoko also smiled. "Where did you learn to do something like that?" she asked.

"I'm a strategist. I enjoy chess, shogi, among other games like that. It almost comes naturally now." Joe said, as he put down the knife and his sword.

Motoko just smiled. "I guess you win. Which means I keep my end of the bargain."

They both looked up at Chiyo and Sakaki. Chiyo had her mouth open, and was absolutely amazed at Joe's strategy. Sakaki just stared and blushed in amazement.

"That…was amazing!" Chiyo broke the silence

"But…where did get the knives?" Sakaki asked

"I took them from the kitchen this morning. I knew I was going to need them," Joe said

All three girls looked at him like he was crazy.

"What?" Joe asked, completely clueless.

"Anyway, " Motoko began "I'm guessing you want me to perform a temporary soul switch on these two."

"It's amazing what meditation tells you, isn't it?" Joe said. He had only ever done mediation once, and it was so weird that he never did it again.

"So, I'm going to need you two to stand there," Motoko pointed to a spot on the beach. "Approximately three cm away from each other." Chiyo and Sakaki did as they were told.

"Good, now hold still" Motoko said

"Don't screw up, Onee-chan"

Motoko stood still, frozen with fear. She had completely lost focus on what she was doing, and was now focused on the fact that Tsuruko was now standing on top of the teahouse.

"Onee-chan?" Joe asked quizzically, as Tsuruko jumped down from the top of the teahouse.

"You have an older sister?" Joe asked Motoko, but Motoko couldn't answer. She was still frozen with fear.

"Y-y-y-you were watching me fight, weren't you?" Motoko asked, backing up as Tsuruko came closer.

"Yes, I did, but the only mistake you made…" Tsuruko started. Motoko braced herself. She knew this was not going to end well

"…was fighting a man who is determined to have his friends live out there dreams, even if temporary" Tsuruko finished

Joe just stood there. He was pretty sure it was a complement. At least, that's what he thought it was.

"No one, not even I, can stand up to people who are selfish-less and determined", Tsuruko said. Motoko finally relaxed. She had done well enough in the fight that Tsuruko wouldn't lose her temper.

"Now, you just need to finish up your end of the bargain, and do the soul switch" Tsuruko finished.

Motoko knew there was some catch. Having to do the soul switch is hard enough, because you need to focus, but the fact that her sister was now watching made it even worse.

Joe put one hand on Motoko's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Had your sister never said anything, you would have never even known she was there," Joe said

"So, you couldn't sense my presence?" Tsuruko said. She was getting mad, which made Motoko nervous.

"Hey, even I couldn't sense you, and I have superior sensing skills." Joe lied. "You hide yourself well."

Tsuruko calmed down, and even smiled sincerely. "Well, thank you. You're so polite."

Motoko then stared at Chiyo and Sakaki. She was completely focused, now that Joe had somehow made Tsuruko calm down. But she was still nervous. If she screwed this up, she knew she would be feeling the wrath of her older sister.

Joe went to stand next to Tsuruko. He kept wondering why Motoko was scared of her older sister. She seemed nice to him.

Motoko swung her sword through the air. "Soul Switch!" she yelled. She swung a ki slice threw Sakaki and Chiyo, and then turned her sword around and did again in the opposite direction. Both Chiyo and Sakaki fell to the ground.

Motoko sheathed her sword. "Success" she said, and let out a sigh of relief.

"Um…" Joe started. "How long are they going to be out?"

"Just for a minute or so, until the souls realign themselves," Motoko said, obviously proud of what she had just done.

"That's my younger sister" Tsuruko said, also proud of her sister.

Author's note: Read and Review!

Next Chapter: Body Switch


	8. Body Switch

Body Switch

Note: When you see Sakaki/Chiyo, that's Sakaki in Chiyo's body. When you see Chiyo/Sakaki, well, I'll let you figure that one out.

* * *

Both Sakaki/Chiyo and Chiyo/Sakaki woke up with a little bit of a headache. They didn't remember much of what happened. All they both remember was that Motoko had just acted like she was slicing through the two of them, and then they fell unconscious.

That's when it all came flooding back. They both looked at each other, then at their (body's) hands, and then ran off in the direction of the beach house.

"What's up with them?" Motoko asked.

Joe just smiled and sweat-dropped. "If I know them, there headed for a mirror."

Joe turned toward Motoko and Tsuruko and bowed "Thank you very much" he said, and turned to follow Sakaki and Chiyo.

"Wait" Motoko said. Joe stopped.

"Why did you fight for them? My meditation showed me that you are having nightmares that keep you up at night. You know I could have ridden your mind of those."

"Yeah, well…" Joe said, "The happiness of friends is far more important than my ability to sleep. Those two girls have wanted to be like the other for as long as they've known each other."

He started walking away again from Motoko and Tsuruko. Unexpectedly, Tsuruko vanished from Motoko's side, and appeared right behind Joe.

Joe stopped, and looked up. He could see the end of Tsuruko's blade, and he could feel Tsuruko's blade touching the top of his head.

Tsuruko had literally stopped her blade one millimeter from Joe's head. A stray hair that had been standing up on Joe's head suddenly split in two and fell limp.

"You really don't have any sort of sensing abilities at all, do you?" Tsuruko said.

She never got her answer. Joe went running off in the direction of the beach house.

"What happened there?" Motoko asked her sister

"I think he wet himself" Tsuruko responded, and both of them laughed.

…

Back at the beach house, Joe peeked into the main room.

Good, no one around, he thought.

He ran to his room, got a fresh change of clothes, and ran to the full bathroom on the second floor. Luckily, Sakaki and Chiyo were still checking out their new bodies in the downstairs bathroom.

Joe quickly got undressed, wrapped a towel around his bottom half, and stopped. He could barely hear it. A small amount of breathing.

He walked over to the shower curtain, quickly pulled it back, and was greeted by a flash.

"Awwww," Tomo said in disappointment

Joe's fist was clenched in the air. A vein was popping out of his head.

"Tomo" he started quietly, and got louder, "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Trying to get a picture of you naked" Tomo responded, as if it was normal.

"Get out before I throw you out and break your camera in the process!" Joe said angrily.

Tomo started to move as if she was leaving, then unexpectedly whipped around, ripped Joe's towel away from him, and took another picture.

She was shocked when she saw that Joe had put another towel underneath the one she had just ripped off.

She slowly looked up. Joe's eyes were glowing a violent red.

Tomo flew out of the bathroom doorway, and flew all the way down to the first floor. She landed, and laid there, dizzy-eyed. Joe had decided against breaking her camera, but thought he might use it later to get even.

…

In the shower, Joe pulled out the hair that Tsuruko had split. The hair was split perfectly down the middle, with only the last 4th of the hair actually still being in tact.

…

After his shower, he went down to check on Sakaki/Chiyo and Chiyo/Sakaki. Tomo was still unconscious on the ground.

…

Sakaki/Chiyo had tied her hair back into the style that Chiyo had had it in high school, with the two ponytails to make herself look cute. Chiyo/Sakaki just stood, looking at herself in the mirror. She looked…cool. For the first time in both of their lives, they looked exactly how they wanted to look.

Chiyo/Sakaki stared down at her breasts. She even grabbed them and started moving them up and down. "How in the world are these things so big?" she said

"Uh…" Sakaki/Chiyo stuttered, as her face turned red "Please don't do that!"

Too late. Joe had just managed to walk in on that particular scene.

Joe had to run away from the door as the gushing nosebleed hit him again.

…

After getting settled down, the three of them gathered at the table, ignoring the still-knocked-out Tomo.

"So, do we tell everybody about this, or do we keep it a secret, to see what's like to also be in the shoes of the person."

"Don't tell anybody," they both said. They couldn't imagine what both Tomo and Yukari would say if they told them they had switched bodies.

"Agreed then" Joe said. "Then let's try and make this a great day," he said with a smile, and with that, he went off to the kitchen to make himself some breakfast.

Chiyo/Sakaki and Sakaki/Chiyo sat at the table wondering what they should do for the rest of the day.

…

Joe looked around the kitchen to make sure that no one else was in there. After making sure, he went up to the top cupboard (which only Sakaki and himself could reach) and pulled out some American, chocolate fudge Pop-tarts.

I'm so glad I brought these along, he thought, as a little drool came down his face.

He sucked in the drool, pulled out the toaster, and popped them down.

"Tsukurimashou, Tsukurimashou, sate sate nani ga dekiru ka na" he sang, and then forced popped them back up. "Itadakimasu!" he said

Perfect. Just long enough to get the filling slightly warm, he thought as he took one big bite.

Yomi walked into the kitchen, and froze at the sight of the chocolaty goodness that Joe was eating.

"What…is that?" Yomi asked. She began shaking slightly.

"Chocolaty Pop-tarts, Part of a nutritious breakfast. Unless you eat these, because these are the chocolate fudge ones."

"Ch…chocolate?" Yomi said. She began shaking harder. She could feel her willpower giving way.

"I guess you could say I'm something of a chocoholic." Joe said as he finished the first Pop-tart. Yomi was standing there, like a vulture watching an animal, waiting for it to make one mistake, and then fall down dead.

"Now I need some milk," Joe said. He set down his plate (with one pop-tart still untouched on it), grabbed a cup from a cupboard, he reached into the fridge, grabbed the milk, poured himself a cup, drank it down, and went back to his plate.

But his plate was now empty, and Yomi was standing over by the wall on the verge of tears.

"I…couldn't stop…I just…" She turned, and Joe could see that she had obviously eaten his warmed up chocolate pop-tart.

Yomi now started crying. "I broke my diet again!"

Joe just sweat-dropped.

Yomi then stopped crying, and got a look of rage on her face. "You were the one who had to eat something chocolaty in front of me!"

"Yomi, if it were to make you feel any better, you can have some more," He pointed to the box on the counter.

"No, I don't want any more!" Yomi was shouting now "Don't you realize you just broke my diet?! I was doing so well, I had finally gotten past 2 months on one diet!"

"You know, I do have one surefire way to get and keep the weight off" Joe said without thinking, "Forget the dieting, and get some exercise."

Yomi snapped.

…

Sakaki/Chiyo and Chiyo/Sakaki both heard loud bangs coming from the kitchen. Joe stepped out, with large bumps on his head, his eyes were spinning. He then fell to the floor.

"That's what he gets for telling me about my weight" Yomi said.

"Uh, Yomi, what is your face covered in?" Chiyo/Sakaki asked.

"Nothing" Yomi said, as she quickly wiped it away.

"Good morning, Sakaki-san" Kaorin said to Chiyo/Sakaki.

"Good morning, Kaorin-san" Chiyo/Sakaki said, with a big smile that made her face glow.

"Is something different, Sakaki-san?" Kaorin asked. "You seem more…cheerful"

"Chiyo, you also seem a lot quieter this morning," Yomi said, as she came and sat down at the table.

"Uh…" Both Chiyo/Sakaki and Sakaki/Chiyo didn't know what to say.

"Morning," Nyamo and Yukari had come walking in.

Nyamo looked at Tomo, who sat up and rubbed the sore spot on her head, then looked over at Joe, who tried to stand up, only to fall back on his hands and knees.

"Geez" Nyamo said "Has the party really started already?"

"Beach time!" Tomo said.

"Don't you ever get sick of the beach?" Joe asked.

"Nope" Tomo said without missing a beat.

…

Everybody had left to go to the beach. Joe once again stood in front of a mirror with a severe lack of self-esteem.

I am so not a beach body, he thought to himself.

Chiyo/Sakaki came walking by the door on her way out.

"Still don't like going to a beach, do you?" she asked.

Even though Joe had been there and witnessed the body change, he still was trying to get into his mind that this was Chiyo speaking, not Sakaki.

"No," Joe responded, obviously depressed.

"Look, if it will make you feel any better, I'll get the sunscreen on your back." Chiyo/Sakaki offered.

"Sure, thanks" Joe said with a smile.

As Chiyo/Sakaki was rubbing the sunscreen on his back, Joe blushed slightly.

"You know, this is severely awkward." Joe said

"Why's that?" Chiyo/Sakaki asked, "Because I normally couldn't ever reach up this high?"

"Sure, let's go with that," Joe responded.

As he left the bathroom, he said "Thanks for putting sunscreen on my back"

Kaorin noticed this, and walked down to see who had done it.

"S-s-Sakaki-san!?" Kaorin said.

Chiyo/Sakaki didn't respond. She still hadn't gotten past the fact that people would call her Sakaki.

Kaorin ignored this, and walked right up to her.

"Would you…put sunscreen on my back, too?" She asked nervously.

"Uh, sure" Chiyo/Sakaki said

Kaorin decided that this day was going to be awesome.

…

That night, Joe asked everybody to gather around the table.

"Well, I suppose it's time that you girls found out. Chiyo and Sakaki had actually switched bodies this morning."

Everybody (except, of course, Chiyo/Sakaki and Sakaki/Chiyo) stared at Joe for a minute like he was crazy, and then started laughing.

"That's a good one!" Tomo said between laughs.

Joe still sat there with a smile on his face, like he knew some big secret that nobody else knew.

"Well, if you don't believe me, ask either one of them something that only they would know"

"I've got one" Tomo said with a smile "Hey, Chiyo, where was Joe's head when he woke up two nights ago?"

Everybody sweat-dropped. Joe punched her in the shoulder.

"I've got an idea," Yomi said.

They all went outside, and stood by Yukari's car.

"Now, let's all go for a ride. Chiyo, Sakaki, you two are riding with Yukari"

Instantly, Chiyo/Sakaki 's face turned a pale white.

Sakaki/Chiyo looked at Yomi like 'this isn't funny'.

"I…I don't want…please, stop…Yukari-sensei" Chiyo/Sakaki was muttering.

"Woah, they did switch bodies!" Kagura said

Joe went up and forehead-flicked Chiyo/Sakaki, which snapped her out of it.

"Don't damage Sakaki's body!" Kaorin yelled, as she slammed Joe to the ground.

"Ouch" was all Joe could manage to muster.

…

At 9:00, everybody went to bed, as Chiyo/Sakaki and Sakaki/Chiyo enjoyed their last minutes in each other's bodies.

As Joe headed off to bed, Chiyo/Sakaki stopped him.

"Joe, I don't think we ever told you, but…" Chiyo/Sakaki started.

"Thank you very much," they both said.

Joe just stood there for a minute, as a smile slowly came across his face.

"Don't mention it" Joe said, as he went into his bedroom.

Little did he know, he wouldn't fall asleep. The past dreams he had been having were haunting his mind.

He sat up and sighed.

I need a good night's rest for tomorrow; otherwise I'll never be able to help pack up for the trip home.

Slowly and quietly, Joe snuck out of his room, with Neko-san right on his heals. He slowly crept up to Sakaki's room, let Neko-san in with him, and closed and locked the door. He stood there, staring at a sleeping Sakaki. He then slowly walked over to her futon, took off his glasses, and tucked himself in next to her. She rolled over.

Joe then moved in closer, and Sakaki immediately wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close.

Caught off guard by this, he was a little surprised. He then noticed that his head was right next to Sakaki's breasts again.

He very slowly put his head down on them.

"My god," Joe whispered "They are…very…"

His eyelids felt extremely heavy. He slowly closed his eyes, and sleep instantly overcame him.

That night was the best night of sleep he had gotten in two days.

Author's notes: Read and Review!

Next chapter: A short pit stop. The final chapter of the beach house saga.


	9. A Short Pit Stop, End Beach House Saga

A short pit stop. The final chapter of the Beach house saga.

P.S. Ichijo, her sister, and even the Salamander from Pani Poni Dash makes a surprise appearance here!

* * *

Joe woke up early that morning, and felt totally refreshed. He breathed a sigh of relief when he checked throughout the beach house, and found that everybody else was asleep.

Joe had an old thought that came to him, and he knew exactly how to check that thought.

…

Everybody else was awoken by a scream. The scream came from Tomo's room.

They all went running into Tomo's room to find her backed into the corner with an absolutely scared look on her face.

"What's wrong, Tomo?" Chiyo asked.

"S-s-spider…" Tomo squeaked out, and pointed to her futon.

Sitting right in the center of her futon, right on top, was a huge, hairy spider.

Every last one of the girls got scared as they stared at the spider.

Then they heard laughter coming from the closet.

Joe fell out of the closet, laughing so hard that tears were flying from his face.

Yomi went over, and touched the spider.

"It's fake," she said

Joe pulled out his cell phone, looked at it, and continued to laugh hard.

"And I've got pictures of Tomo's face when she first woke up with it on her chest," he said, still laughing.

…

After settling down, they all gathered around the table.

"Well, since this is our last day, I propose a toast. I poured everybody a glass of milk"

A look of disappointment came from Yukari, now that she knew it wasn't beer.

"Cheers!" Everybody said. They all clinked all the glasses together, and gulped it all down.

"Ah, that was refreshing! Thanks, Joe!" Chiyo said.

Joe didn't respond. His eyes were fixated on Osaka.

"My milk tasted funny" Osaka said.

Yomi caught on. "Joe, what did you put in her drink?"

Again, no response.

Kagura, who was standing on the left of Joe, thwacked him on the back of the head.

"OW!"

"Hey, what did you put in her drink?" Kagura asked.

"I didn't put milk in her glass, if that's what you're asking." He said, and his gaze immediately went back to Osaka.

"What did you put in her glass, then?" Nyamo asked.

"A can of my super soda" Joe responded.

Everybody's eyes immediately locked on to Osaka.

"What?" Osaka asked.

Hic Osaka hiccupped.

"That's it?" Joe asked; obviously disappointed that nothing else happened.

"I guess so" Tomo responded, also looking disappointed. Yukari had the same look.

Hic

"That was mean to put some of that soda in Osaka's glass, Joe," Chiyo said.

Hic Hic

"Um, does anybody else kinda notice that her hiccups are getting faster?" Yomi said.

Hic Hic Hic Osaka's hiccups continued, getting faster and faster as she stood there.

"Oh, crap!" Joe exclaimed. "We need to get her some water! That must be the effect it has on her!"

Everybody except Nyamo and Yomi, who stayed with Osaka, went to get a glass and some water for Osaka. They made it all back with their glasses of water when…

Hic Hic Hic Hic Hic Hic and then Osaka passed out.

Everybody stood there, completely frozen at what had just happened.

"Joe, you killed Osaka!" Tomo yelled

Joe just stood there as this new information hit him.

I'm a murderer, he thought to himself.

Then, Osaka sprang back up.

Everybody jumped back.

"SHE'S A ZOMBIE!!" Yukari screamed.

"I'm not one of the dead that has become reanimated, Yukari-sensei" Osaka said

Everybody's mouth dropped open.

Moment of awkward silence.

"Uh, Osaka, are you OK?" Chiyo asked.

"I'm fine, Chiyo-chan. And Joe, I must say, that was an extremely mean thing to do, although it seems I must thank you for it now" Osaka said.

"Huh?" Joe asked, dumbfounded.

"It would seem that I have become extremely intelligent," Osaka said.

Joe thought to test this out. After all, Osaka could just be fooling them. But then again, she wasn't Tomo.

"OK, Osaka, if you're so smart, what is pi?" Joe asked daringly.

"Pi is a numerical number that helps to calculate the circumference of a circle, and is approximately equal to 22/7" Osaka said without missing a beat.

Joe's mouth dropped open. Everybody else just continued to stare, and were stunned silent.

"And also, I am aware that we need to pack to leave the beach house. If we all pack all of our own things at the quickest possible speed, we may even make it home by 2 pm." Osaka said.

…

…

Everybody packed precisely according to Osaka's orders. She had actually gotten almost all of the stuff into the van. When they had first come here, they had loaded half of all the stuff in each vehicle.

"Hey," Osaka said. "I've figured out the answer to life, the universe, and everything."

"42" Joe said without missing a beat.

"But I know the question" Osaka said, which instantly grabbed Joe's attention.

"It's…"

Osaka froze.

"Yes, it's what?" Joe asked.

No response.

"Osaka?" Joe waved his hand in front of Osaka's face. Her face was completely stuck in the position of answering his question.

"Well, we're all packed" Chiyo said as she walked over. "Joe-san?"

"Chiyo-chan" Joe started. "I think the effects of the soda wore off"

Chiyo walked over to see Osaka frozen in place.

"Well," Joe said, "This could be a small problem"

Osaka fell over.

"Osaka-san?" Chiyo asked, concerned.

Osaka's eyes were now closed. Both Joe and Chiyo heard a snore.

They both let out a sigh of relief.

"Oi, what's the holdup?!" Yukari yelled.

"Osaka fell asleep," Joe yelled back.

"Well, that's a problem" Nyamo said with a sigh.

"Could we please hurry up?!" Yomi said. "Tomo is making me mad!"

"Yeah, hurry up! It's hot in this car!" Kagura screamed out.

Sakaki sat quietly in the van, with Kaorin sitting right next to her.

"Hey, Nyamo, listen" Yukari said "I made a promise to a friend that we would stop over at his beach house before we left, because his cousin is coming into town, and he wanted us to see her."

"Who is this friend?" Nyamo asked, suspicious of Yukari's true intentions.

"Oh, you'll see" Yukari said.

…

Yukari turned off onto a different road. She seemed to be driving much slower, and much more carefully. She didn't actually want to go to this house, but she had been secretly talked into it.

"Hey, where are we going?" Chiyo asked from the front

"Yukari made a promise to a friend to see their cousin, who's visiting" Nyamo said

"Oh, that's nice of Yukari" Chiyo said, completely unsuspecting of any of Yukari's other motives.

Joe noticed a sign as they turned off into the driveway that nobody else noticed.

Where have I heard that name before? he wondered

…

Everybody had pulled up and gotten out of the car (except Osaka, who was still passed out). When every last person had gotten out of the car, the door to the house they were all in front of slammed opened. They all got the chills.

That's where I've heard the name before, Joe thought to himself.

"Ah, thank so much for coming" Kimura said

Kaorin screamed, and passed out.

Joe picked her up.

"Oh, come on now, Kaorin," Joe said with an evil grin. "You're coming in"

Kaorin looked like she was going to have a heart attack.

…

Inside Kimura's beach house

…

Sakaki, Tomo, Yomi, Kagura, Chiyo, Nyamo, and Yukari are sitting on a around a table with Kimura. Joe is leaning up against a wall close to the table. Kaorin is curled up in the fetal position in the farthest corner

"So, I bought this about 2 years ago, and I came down here for summer time ever since" Kimura explained.

"Ah, that's so nice" Yukari, who seemed to be the only girl to want to respond, said.

"Does anybody want any lunch?" Kimura's wife said from the kitchen. "I've got curry"

It was about noon. Joe's stomach let off a growl.

"I'll have some" Joe yelled.

"It's coming out." Kimura's wife yelled.

Someone appeared with Joe's curry on a plate. She was wearing a maid suit, which creeped all of the girls out. She had brown hair that only went down to her neckline in the back, and was then tied into a ponytail from that point down. Her stare was a little creepy.

As she entered the room, a tiny bell chime went off.

Kimura turned to see who it was, and then turned back.

"Everybody, I would like to introduce you to my cousin who's visiting, Ichijo-san" Kimura said

She walked over to Joe.

"Here is your lunch" Ichijo said.

"Ah, thank you very much" he said as he bowed, and took the food.

He went and sat down at the table between Yukari and Kimura, set his food down, and broke his chopsticks.

"Itadakimasu!" He said. All of the girls' eyes were fixated on Joe. If this food were poisoned, they would soon know about it.

"Would you like a drink?" Ichijo asked.

"Oh, yes, please!" Joe said.

Ichijo reached into her chest area and pulled one out.

Joe got a slight chill down his back. "Can I get a fresh one, please?"

"This one isn't for you" Ichijo explained as she reached into her chest area again and pulled out her little sister. "It's for her."

"Pui!" the little sister exclaimed, as she grabbed the soda and drank it down.

Joe looked at the sister with one eyebrow cocked way up, and slowly looked up at Ichijo.

Joe opened his mouth to speak, then thought about it, and said "You know what, never mind, I don't think I really want to know"

As he ate some of his curry, once again, everybody's eyes were on him.

Joe looked up and noticed everybody's eyes were on him.

Perfect Tomo opportunity, he thought. Time to seize it.

He swallowed.

"So, how is it?" Nyamo asked.

Joe quickly grabbed his throat and yelled "Ack! It's been poisoned!"

Sakaki, Ichijo, her little sister, Kimura, his wife, and Sakaki were the only ones not to scream.

"I'm just messin' with ya" Joe said with a smile.

"I figured" Sakaki said in her cool voice "If it had been poisoned, you would have passed out on the floor, not screamed."

"Good insight, Sakaki-san" Joe said,

"That's not funny!" Tomo screamed "I'm the only one who's allowed to do that!"

"Sorry, couldn't help it" Joe said, "Actually, this curry is delicious"

"So glad to hear it" Kimura's wife said, as she came out of the kitchen. "Oh, here's your drink, and a special Umeboshi"

"Ah, thank you very much" Joe said, as he drank a little soda, and continued to eat his curry.

Conversation continued as Joe was the only one who seemed to be hungry at the moment.

"So, Ichijo-san, where do you go to school?" Nyamo asked.

"Peach Moon Institute" Ichijo responded, "I'm the class representative of class 1-C"

"Don't you guys have some genius child teaching your class?" Yomi asked. Yukari's head slowly turned toward Chiyo.

"Reminds you of someone, doesn't it?" she whispered to Nyamo.

Chiyo felt a pull on the arm of her shirt. She looked over to see someone staring at her.

She looked exactly like a mini-Sakaki, except her hair wasn't as dark. Her eyes were a pure black, with a slight light reflection in the top left corner.

"Hello, there." Chiyo said, "What's your name?"

"I'm Kaorin," the little girl said.

It was at this point that Kaorin came running out from the corner she was in to greet this cute little girl.

"Hi, there, my name is Kaorin, too" Kaorin said.

The little girl went running and hid behind Kimura.

"Huh?" Kaorin said.

"Ah, I never did introduce my daughter. This is Kaorin" Kimura said

Kimura has a daughter with the same name as me? Older Kaorin thought. Older Kaorin was beginning to feel a little sick.

"Where's your bathroom?" Older Kaorin asked.

"First door down the hallway" Ichijo said.

"Pui!" her little sister said, and pointed to a door.

Kaorin ran to the door, ran into the bathroom, and jumped back out.

"W-w-what is that?!" Older Kaorin shrieked at something in the tub.

"Kaorin found that on the beach one day and wanted to keep it" Kimura said.

"I prefer this bathtub over the ocean, kero" the thing said.

It…talked, Older Kaorin thought slowly. And she passed out again.

Joe had finally finished his curry, and chomped on his Umeboshi. He made the sour face, and screamed "Sour!"

"Thanks for the food" Joe said, "but we need to get back on the road, the drive is a long one, and I think Kaorin has had enough excitement for the weekend."

"Of course" Kimura said.

Joe picked up Kaorin (trying as hard as he possibly could not to look in the bathroom to see what Kaorin had saw), and they all left.

"Come back again sometime" Kimura's wife said

They all drove off.

"Well, that Joe kid is nice" Kimura's wife said

"I like Chiyo-chan" Younger Kaorin said "She cute, like me"

"That's right, honey. Just like you" Kimura said lovingly.

"I fried up the salamander," Ichijo said.

"Yay, I love seafood!" Younger Kaorin yelled in happiness.

…

"Well, that was nice. It was nice to see Kimura-sensei's family" Chiyo said

"I see now why you guys get creeped out around Kimura. I got the same feeling with Ichijo standing there." Joe said

Osaka finally woke up.

"Ah, Osaka-san" Chiyo said "Are you alright?"

"Chiyo-chan, what happened?" Osaka whined. "My head hurts."

Joe whipped out a notebook, and wrote something in it.

"Joe, what are you writing?" Chiyo asked.

"This is my book of what happens when people drink my super soda. Most of them don't have any effects at all, but if they do, I make sure to write it down."

So far, the writing in Joe's book looked like this (written in English):

Joe (myself) – Gains a tremendous amount of speed, temporary

Osaka – First hiccups, Gains tremendous amounts of knowledge, falls asleep, wakes up not remembering what happened, with headache

Tomo – Warning! Normally very energetic. Do not, under any circumstances, let her drink the soda.

…

Author's notes: And that would be the end of the beach house saga of this story! There will still be more to come!

As a forewarning, I will usually write out an entire saga before releasing anything. So be prepared for a few weeks with no releases, then having a bunch of chapters released all at once.

Thanks for understanding,

JBK


	10. Shopping Trip

Shopping Trip

Author's Note: Bear with me, this chapter is kind of long. Also, this is a filler chapter.

…

Joe stepped out of the van, and stretched out. After being on the trip for an hour, they had finally made it back home.

Yomi and Kagura both slowly got out of Yukari's car, and fell to the ground on their hands and knees.

Joe walked over to Kagura, "Surely it can't be that bad the second time around" he said

"It's worse the second time," Kagura said.

Joe winced.

…

After they all retrieved all of their stuff from the vehicles, they all went home (Joe stayed at Chiyo's house) and Joe and Chiyo went to sleep. The vacation had put a serious strain on the both of them.

…

The next day, Chiyo woke up to Joe already at the table on his laptop.

"Good morning, Chiyo-chan" Joe started out

"Good morning, Joe" Chiyo responded "What are you doing on your laptop already?"

"I'm looking for my own apartment. Though I talked with your parents, and they said as long as I'm still looking for my own apartment and paying them rent, I can stay here."

"Well, that's nice" Chiyo said. In truth, she was happy that Joe would be able to stay for a least a while.

Joe's laptop gave him a warning that the battery was low.

Crud, Joe thought.

He closed up his laptop and went to go take a shower while Chiyo ate her breakfast. He checked his chin, where hair was beginning to grow. He pulled out his shaving cream from his bag (the one he had brought from America, that also contained his special soda), pushed down on the top to get some cream out, and got nothing.

Double crud, Joe thought.

"Oi, Chiyo-chan" he yelled from the bathroom. "I think we need to go shopping"

"Yes, we do" Chiyo responded. "All the stuff we brought to the beach house is completely gone."

Joe came out of the bathroom to see Chiyo sitting there, frozen solid.

"Chiyo?" he asked. As he got closer, he saw why she was frozen solid.

A huge cockroach had gotten right up on the table she was sitting at, and was almost staring at her, as she stared back.

Joe's eyesight became intensely focused. He ran back into the bathroom, grabbed a flyswatter he had in his bag for situations like this, and came back out.

It almost seemed like the cockroach saw the flyswatter, because he immediately went flying right at Chiyo.

Chiyo screamed, shielded her face with one arm, and closed her eyes.

WHAM!!

"He stopped watching me" she heard Joe say.

Chiyo opened her eyes to see the flyswatter had caught the cockroach mid-flight, and had squashed him right at the edge of the table. His guts were smashed out.

"Ewww" Chiyo said "How can you handle stuff like that?"

"Because the bugs we worry about in America are not cockroaches, they're centipedes. A bug that has about 20 legs. And the way it moves just creeps you out. Cockroaches don't creep me out, centipedes do."

Joe then cleaned up the guts of the cockroach he had just squished.

Chiyo wrote up a list of stuff they needed, got some money from her parents, and they both left the house.

Neko-san, this entire time, had still been sleeping up on Joe's futon.

…

Chiyo and Joe walked all the way to the shopping mall in the middle of town, and met up with Kagura, Kaorin, Sakaki, Yomi, Osaka, and Tomo right in front of the building.

"Well, that's awkward" Joe said, "We're here for food and some other stuff. What are you guys here for?"

"Food for Mayaa" Sakaki said.

"I came with Sakaki-san" Kaorin said.

"My boyfriend is out visiting his hometown in Germany for the rest of the week, so I need to pick up the groceries" Kagura said

"I came to look for a few more dieting tips from others, as well as picking up some food for myself," Yomi said

"The women's clothes store is having a super sale," Tomo said.

Everybody looked at Osaka.

"I can't remember why I came," Osaka said, and everybody sweat-dropped.

…

Everybody went inside, and decided that grocery shopping should be the last thing they do.

…

First stop, book shop for Yomi, as well as looking at books.

Joe went looking at the player's guides, as well as to check out the new manga out (translated in English for easier reading, of course)

Yomi went for the dieting books.

Sakaki went for the "Healthy Cat" books.

Kaorin pretended to look at something, but was really watching Sakaki, blushing the entire time.

Nobody really knows what Osaka was staring at.

Tomo was also looking at some new manga, but was more interested in the humor than anything else.

…

Tomo laughed "Yomi, you gotta come read this. This fat character is sensitive about her weight, like you!"

From the checkout counter, Joe's eyes darted over to the diet section of the book store, and followed the movement of Yomi from that section to where Tomo was standing, and watched the tackle of Yomi against Tomo.

"YOU REALLY KNOW HOW TO GET ON MY NERVES, DON'T YOU!" Yomi yelled as she began choking Tomo.

Chiyo, Kaorin, Joe, Kagura, and even Sakaki just sighed at the normal fighting between Tomo and Yomi.

Joe paid for his strategy guide, as was leaving the building.

"Heh hehhh" Tomo laughed evilly as she got out of Yomi's grip, and kicked her off. "What you don't know is that I stole a secret weapon"

"Ha! Don't make me laugh. You don't have any secret weapon!" Yomi yelled.

Tomo had a very evil look on her face, as she pulled out a soda can. Yomi instantly recognized the label.

"No, you didn't…" Yomi said, barely audible.

Tomo opened the can.

…

Back at the entrance, Joe heard the sound of a can opening that he only recognized as his secret soda.

He whipped around to see…

"Oh, no" he whispered

…

Tomo had guzzled down the entire soda.

The store's security had now surrounded them both.

"We are going to have to ask you to leave" one man said, as he grabbed Yomi's arm.

Another man, who was in Tomo's 'surrounded' group, went to grab her.

It almost looked like he had grabbed at thin air. Tomo had almost vanished instantly.

"You guys are going to have to be faster than that," Tomo said from behind the man.

Instantly, she zoomed out of the store. Books and pieces of paper went flying from the sheer wind force of her body going by.

Joe's eyes widened as he felt the 'whoosh' go by him. He then saw it.

Her speed, he thought, is amazing. She moves so fast that even my movement sensitive eyesight only catches a blur.

He then got the look-to-kill on his face.

But that's all I need, he thought.

Tomo had stopped out in the middle of the mall.

"I could go shopping at all the stores at once!" she said, and looked over at Joe.

"But then again, I do owe you for punching me in the face." Tomo said, with an evil grin.

Joe turned, and just kept 'the look' on his face.

Tomo then vanished.

Joe stood there, and waited.

He then got punched hard in the face by Tomo.

Crap, he thought, I thought I could see her.

Tomo just stood there, eccentric at what she had just done.

"Sweet Revenge!" she yelled

Joe went sliding on the floor back into the bookstore he had just been in, and slid right into a bookshelf, which then rocked, and knocked a whole bunch of books on top of him.

Tomo was now standing outside the bookstore and laughing.

"I finally have my revenge. I was waiting for the perfect moment to get it!" Tomo said

The only movement inside the bookstore was Chiyo running over to the pile of books that lie on top of Joe. She reached to pull them off of Joe, but the pile started moving, and Joe stood up out of the pile of books.

"Joe-san, are you ok?" Chiyo asked.

Joe raised his head. A dark aura was seeping out of his body. Chiyo took two steps back in fear.

"Chiyo-chan, no matter what happens" Joe said "she fully deserves every last bit of it" and he walked slowly out of the store.

Tomo just stood there with a grin on her face as Joe came back to where he was originally standing.

"Come back for round two, have you?" she said in an arrogant tone.

"You caught me off guard last time. This time," Joe said, and he cracked his neck "No mercy".

Tomo's body vanished again.

This time, Joe saw it coming, and jumped out of the way, while leaving his right hand open and out to catch Tomo as she ran by to try to hit him. He caught her right arm.

He then grabbed the same arm with his left hand, and started swinging her around. Joe then swung her up into the air. Tomo was now airborne, and unable to use her speed.

Joe started running in the same direction Tomo was flying, and formed the seal of the tiger.

…

By this time, Chiyo, Yomi, Sakaki, Kagura, Kaorin, Sakaki, and Osaka had all gathered outside the bookstore to see what was happening.

Chiyo gasped as she saw the seal of the tiger.

"She's gonna get it" Chiyo said.

…

Tomo managed to get her body flipped around in air, so that she would at least land on her feet. As she hit the ground, her legs bent to 'catch' her full body weight.

Basically, she landed, and went to the squatting position.

Close, Tomo thought.

A noise came from behind her. She looked back to see Joe with his pointer and middle finger from both hands shoved up her…

The pain hit her right at that particular moment. She had just been hit full power by the…

"Thousand Years of Pain!" Joe yelled, as Tomo went screaming and belly-flopped a yard from where she had been hit.

…

Sakaki gasped and put her hands over her mouth.

Yomi covered her ears to protect herself from Tomo's screaming.

Kagura put her hands over her eyes, as if to say 'I didn't want to see that'

Chiyo winced.

Osaka looked mortified.

Kaorin's face turned white.

…

Tomo couldn't move. The pain in her butt was so intense that moving her legs would make it hurt even more.

Joe undid the seal, and walked over to Tomo.

"Mess with the bull, you get the horns, Tomo-chan" Joe said.

"Just you watch, I'll get you…" Tomo stopped yelling, as the way she had yelled made her butt hurt even worse.

…

"Full Power, too" Chiyo said

"What?" Yomi asked, who seemed to be the only one able to speak after that particular moment.

"Tomo-chan was in the squatting position. Not only that, but Joe had a good running speed when he hit her. Tomo got hit full force by that attack. Something tells me she'll be walking funny for a while." Chiyo explained.

Yomi got a mixed feeling of pity and joy. Sorry for Tomo that she got hit full force by it, and joy from the fact that she deserved every last bit of it.

…

Joe walked away from Tomo and back toward the group.

"Sorry you guys had to witness that" Joe said

"Where in the world did you learn that?" Kagura asked in shock.

"I picked it up from Naruto. It looked like a painful attack that anybody in the real world." Joe said "I used it in college when some guys tried to haze me into joining their group."

"Joe then had the entire college turned on him, until I came" Chiyo said "I explained to everybody that he would only use it if he really got angry with you."

"I still don't feel like I've thanked Chiyo enough for that one" Joe said.

Yomi, with the biggest grin on her face, walked over to Tomo.

"Does it hurt?" Yomi asked

"WHAT DO YOU THINK?! OF COURSE IT…" Tomo got a shot of pain again.

…

"Ah, the pet store" Chiyo said, and Sakaki instantly blushed as she ran inside. Kaorin, Kagura, Osaka, and Chiyo all followed her in. Joe and Yomi sat down on a bench.

They both watched Tomo slowly walk (if you could call it walking) to where they were sitting. As she passed Joe, she gave him an "I hate you" look.

"So, tell me, Tomo-chan" Joe said, as he whipped out his notebook, "are you feeling any sort of weird side effects? I mean, from the soda," he added as Yomi snickered.

Tomo just continued to give him the "I hate you" look.

"I take that as a no" Joe said, and he wrote in his notepad.

After putting it back into his back pocket, he noticed something behind Tomo. He moved his head slightly to see…

A light shine down from heaven right at what Joe was looking at. A little bit of drool dropped from his mouth, and he slurped it back in.

Yomi noticed this, and looked at what he was looking at.

"A video game store?" she asked, and looked back to see an empty spot where Joe had been sitting.

She looked back at the video game store to find Joe already walking out.

"That was quick," she said as she walked over to Joe.

"I forgot," Joe said "it's the summer, so…"

He then had streams of tears flowing down his cheeks. "They don't release any good games! Why does life have to be so cruel?"

Tomo then came hobbling over, with an evil grin on her face.

"In pain, are we?" Tomo asked in a loathing tone.

"I was, but then I remembered how much pain you were in, and I feel so much better now," Joe said with a smile.

Tomo popped a vein in her head.

"But," Joe continued, "I did manage to get a Nintendo DS charger and Laptop adapter that work with Japanese electric plugs."

"Hey, we're finally done!" Chiyo yelled as they all went up to Yomi, Tomo, and Joe.

"They didn't have a whole lot of new animals in there," Sakaki said, obviously disappointed.

"Well, that's alright, Sakaki-san, there's always next time," Joe said, trying to cheer her up.

"What are they all staring at?" Kagura asked.

Everybody looked inside the video game store that Joe had just been in to see every last guy looking right outside to where all these girls were standing.

"Uh, nothing…" Joe said, knowing precisely what they were staring at. "Let's just go on to the next store."

"It's the best one, the women's clothing store, with a half off sale!" Kagura exclaimed.

All of the girls walked off (Tomo hobbled off), and Joe watched as every guy in the game store got a disappointed look on their face as the girls left.

Glad I left that group a while ago, Joe thought, as he followed after the girls.

…

Joe played his DS on a bench outside the store that the girls had gone into. He ended up beating his game in the hour and a half it took the girls to shop.

"It would have only been an hour," Yomi said, "but Tomo had to hobble to all the clothes she wanted, and trying them on was a big pain for her"

Joe just smiled. He was also really trying to hold back his laughter.

…

They stopped quickly (five minutes total) for Joe to pick up some shaving cream.

…

Finally, Joe stopped right outside an arcade, and smiled.

"Hey, you guys, since this is our first shopping trip together, we should have a dance off" he said, as he pointed to two Dance Dance Revolution Pads that had the game playing.

Everybody agreed, and they paired up.

Yomi vs. Tomo

Sakaki vs. Kaorin

Kagura vs. Osaka

and the last round, Joe vs. Chiyo

"I can't dance," Tomo complained "not after what HE did to me" Tomo pointed an accusing finger at Joe.

"Oh dear, Tomo" Joe said with an evil smile "Are you saying that you are going to let Yomi beat you?"

Tomo got angry, and hobbled over to the dance pad.

…

"Tomo, you give in to peer pressure way too easily." Joe said with a smile.

Tomo hadn't gotten any perfects at all. In fact, a few times, she had frozen up from dancing due to pain.

Yomi managed to get a decent score, with two perfects.

…

Kaorin thoroughly enjoyed her dance-off against Sakaki, although she didn't score any perfects at all.

Sakaki managed to score 16 perfects.

…

"How do you play this?" Osaka asked.

"You watch for the arrows to come across the top of the screen, then hit the same arrow," Joe explained.

"So, if I hit an opposite arrow, that's bad" Osaka stated.

"Yes" Joe said with a sweat-drop.

Osaka seemed to have the basics down, but she had one problem.

Every time she would look at the screen to hit one arrow, she had to look down to hit it. And by that time, 6-7 arrows had already gone by.

Kagura managed to score 15 perfects.

"Always chasing Sakaki," she said with a laugh

…

Finally, Joe vs. Chiyo.

"Love Shine?" Joe asked Chiyo

"Sure, let's do that one" Chiyo said

"And I believe we're tied" Joe said with a smile.

"Yes, we are" Joe said, and started the song

"Tied?" Kagura asked

She never got a response.

Joe almost seemed to be flying through the air. He was using not only his feet, but also his fists to hit the mat and score perfect after perfect.

The girls looked over at Chiyo. She was moving her tiny legs fast enough to also score perfect after perfect.

All the girls had their mouths gaping open by the end of the song.

Tied. Total perfection from both players.

Both Joe and Chiyo were breathing heavy. They looked over at each other with big grins on their faces.

…

Finally, after getting back to Chiyo's house, Joe simply took a shower, and fell into his futon. Neko-san was still sleeping on his pillow.

In English: "Neko-san, why does shopping with girls have to be an all-day affair that completely wears me out?" Joe asked.

Neko-san just looked at him weird.

In English (again): "So you don't know either. Good, as long as we're on the same page"

And Joe fell asleep.

…

Author's Notes: Finally, this chapter is done. R & R please!

Next Chapter: Tomo does stupid, and Osaka does smart.


	11. Tomo does stupid, Osaka smart!

Tomo does stupid, and Osaka does smart

Note: Average Japanese height for 16 year old Japanese woman – 154 cm

You will need to know this for part of the story.

Also, this is another filler chapter

…

One week after the shopping mall incident:

Sakaki had gotten a job as a vet in a veterinarian office close to where she was living, and also close enough that Chiyo could walk there with Tadaichi anytime she wanted.

Kaorin got a job as a vet in the same place (of course).

Yomi, the famous dietitian, had been asked by a TV studio in Tokyo to go there for an interview in precisely one week. She gladly accepted.

Kagura's boyfriend still had not come home from Germany. She began to worry.

Tomo had spent the entire week in complete and total pain.

Chiyo had spent her week thoroughly enjoying time: not having to study her heart out, like she had the past 4 years of her life in college. Basically, she spent it not doing anything.

Joe spent his week looking for an apartment for himself, as well as possibly a new job. No luck.

…

We now join everybody two weeks after the mall incident:

Chiyo had woken up early, and ran down to the bathroom. There, she secretly pulled out measuring tape, and checked her height.

Sure, she had grown in the past 4 years. But she was still short for her age, and the fact that she had gone to America (where everybody seemed to be tall to her) just made her feel that much more insecure about her height.

She measured herself out. 134 cm.

She looked at herself in the mirror, at the reflection staring back, and pondered the meaning of life.

"It's OK, Chiyo-chan" Joe said from outside the closed bathroom door.

"What do you mean, Joe-chan?" Chiyo said, trying to act as if nothing was happening.

"Did you know that some of the greatest people in history were short?" Joe said "Many of those famous people saw their shortness, not as a disadvantage, but something that was simply an obstacle, and they saw to make themselves famous to overcome there height disadvantage."

"You should write motivational speeches," Chiyo said, now feeling much better.

"Nah, never been one to motivate, just one to make people feel better," Joe said.

"Well, thank you, it worked," Chiyo said sincerely

"That's what friends are for, Chiyo-chan" Joe said, and with that, went back to his usual business of looking for an apartment on his laptop.

Chiyo looked in the mirror again, and now, feeling that much better about herself, went out to face the world.

…

Joe was once again met by disappointment on the apartment search. But he had decided that it was not going to ruin his day.

Joe and Chiyo were watching TV, because Yomi had told Joe, Chiyo, Sakaki, Kaorin, and Kagura (she had asked that they not tell Tomo, for obvious reasons) that she would be on.

"So, Yomi, what would you have to say was the toughest part of your dieting years?" the host asked.

"Well, I would definitely have to say that, if I gained any weight, a certain friend of mine would make it a part of her life to point it out." Yomi said.

The crowd laughed.

"I haven't even seen this happen, and I know who it is" Joe said.

"Well, it now comes to the part of the show where we can allow people to call in and ask or say anything that they want" the host said.

The phone noise went off in the studio.

"Hi, this is Shelly. I'm an American, but I live in Tokyo. Tell me, what is the best way to lose weight fast?"

"Well, Shelly, I know that for Americans, it is especially not easy…" Yomi started.

"I'm surprised that she also did her research on the weight problems of other nations," Joe said.

"It's amazing what I've missed out on. To think that she's become a famous dietician." Chiyo said. "I remember in high school how much trouble she had with keeping on her diet."

Joe chuckled, and drank some of his Mountain Dew.

The phone at the studio rang again.

"What's up, fattie?"

Joe spit out the soda. Chiyo dropped the popcorn kernel she had in her hand.

"Tomo?" Joe asked.

"She…didn't" Chiyo said, still frozen wide-eyed at the television.

"She…did" Joe said, with the same wide-eyed stare that Chiyo had.

They could both see that Yomi had left the station, but Tomo continued to go on.

"Man, oh man, you guys have got the wrong person to be a dietician. She went to Hokkaido for the New Year one year in high school, and she gained a ton of weight from eating crabs and Genghis Khan. Ha ha ha ha!"

Joe and Chiyo had both stopped watching the TV. They were now running down the sidewalk toward Tomo's house.

…

They both got to Tomo's house, and stopped outside to catch their breath.

"It doesn't look like Yomi got here yet." Chiyo said

"That means we're lucky," Joe said

"Hey, guys" Tomo said walking out of her house.

"Tomo-chan, how could you do such a mean thing to Yomi?!" Chiyo yelled. "This is beyond what you used to do. You just embarrassed her in front of millions of people."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Tomo said "She'll get over it"

"Joe-san, explain to her that Yomi will never forgive her" Chiyo said, looking back at Joe.

Joe was silent. He seemed to be watching some birds fly overhead.

"Joe-san?"

"Listen to those birds" he said.

The birds were squawking, in a frightened way. They were also flying away from the television station.

Joe looked down toward the direction of the studio, and instantly his pupils went small.

"Chiyo-chan, we should go, NOW!" He grabbed Chiyo and ran.

"Hey, you guys are going to miss out when Yomi gets here" Tomo yelled, and looked to where Joe had looked.

"Ah, Yomi-san" she said.

Yomi was walking down the sidewalk. A dark aura was oozing out of her body, and her glasses were shining, hiding what was in her eyes.

"So, what do you think of what I did to you, pretty evil, huh?" Tomo said.

WHAM!!

Tomo was hit so hard in the face she went flying back into her own living room.

Tomo grabbed her face in pain.

"Yomi, what was that for?" Tomo asked.

Yomi walked in to Tomo's house, and slowly shut the front door.

Joe and Chiyo, who were about a block away, heard a scream.

"She led a fair life" they both said, as they prayed.

…

Yomi walked away from Tomo's house.

Joe and Chiyo slowly walked in to see Tomo in bandages from her head all the way down to one of her feet being bandaged.

"I…think I went…to far this time," Tomo said.

"Serves you right" they both said, and walked away.

"Who do you think told her about Yomi going on television, anyway?" Joe asked.

"Nyamo probably told Yukari, and Yukari probably told Tomo" Chiyo said with a sigh.

…

It had now been two and a half weeks since the beach house. With still no luck finding his own apartment, Joe was getting discouraged.

"I know something that will cheer you up…" Chiyo said.

Joe put one eyebrow way up as his pupils moved towards Chiyo's direction.

"Shogi!" Chiyo exclaimed, and pulled out a board from behind her.

…

Chiyo and Joe were about halfway through game one when the phone rang, and Chiyo went to get it.

"Are you going anywhere today?" Tomo asked.

"Uh, I don't think so…" Chiyo said.

"Then I'm coming over!" Tomo exclaimed, and hung up before Chiyo could respond.

Chiyo sighed as she hung up the phone.

"Tomo's coming over" Chiyo said to Joe.

"I'll be right back," Joe said.

Joe went into the guest room where he was staying, and grabbed his small MP3 player out of his bag.

He then ran back to the board and started playing again.

"What's that for?" Chiyo asked.

"hehehe…When Tomo comes over, I put these ear buds in, start playing the music, and I won't be able to hear her" Joe said with a smile.

Joe was one move away from checkmating Chiyo when the door slammed open.

"Hello!"

"Hi, Tomo" both Chiyo and Joe said without looking up.

Tomo, Yomi, Kagura, and Osaka all came in.

"Are all you guys really that bored?" Chiyo asked.

"Yeah, the school semester doesn't start for another 2 weeks," Tomo said.

"Yeah, it's very boring" Kagura said.

Osaka was already staring off into space.

"Checkmate" Joe said, and moved a piece to checkmate Chiyo.

"Darn it" Chiyo said, "I guess you really are the better strategist"

Joe just smiled.

"Hey, Chiyo, can I try?" Osaka asked.

Everyone was surprised to hear this coming from Osaka.

"Um, are you sure you even know how to play?" Joe asked.

"Yes, I learned how to play from my cousin." Osaka said.

"Well, I'll let you play Chiyo, then" Joe said, and started to stand up.

"No, I want to face you. You look like a tough opponent," Osaka said.

Joe sat down, a serious look on his face. His mind was wondering just how Osaka knew how to play Shogi.

Tomo started to irritate Yomi behind Joe. Joe used this opportunity to turn on his MP3 player.

He could no longer hear anything but his music. His focus on the game was now more intense.

"Checkmate" Osaka said.

This instantly got the attention of everybody in the room. Joe's jaw dropped.

"How in the world?" Joe asked.

He looked up at Osaka. She had a proud look on her face. Her arms were crossed.

"I let my guard down. Rematch" Joe said.

…

The rematch was going in Joe's favor.

Then Osaka did something that only Joe recognized.

She put her fingertips together, with the thumbs above all the other fingers, and closed her eyes.

She formed that thing that Shikamaru usually forms when he's thinking, Joe thought.

Osaka opened her eyes, and undid the thinking seal.

She moved her piece.

Joe moved his piece in a matter of seconds.

Osaka moved her piece.

"Checkmate" Osaka said.

Everybody was now amazed.

"Osaka…where did you…when did you…" Yomi couldn't even finish her sentences.

"Amazing" Joe said. He looked up at Osaka. "What's this cousin's name?"

"Shikamaru" Osaka said.

"Riiiiight." Joe said, unbelieving of what Osaka said. "Seriously, what's his name?"

"Shikamaru" Osaka repeated.

"You need to invite this cousin over sometime" Joe said.

"I would, but he's very busy right now with the filming of a movie he's staring in" Osaka said.

"And what would be this movie's name?" Joe asked.

"Naruto Shippuden, the movie" Osaka responded.

"Naruto is an anime, Osaka" Joe said, still unconvinced. "How can he star in the movie?"

"He does the voice of Shikamaru. The artists made the Shikamaru in Naruto look exactly like him" Osaka said.

"Hm" Joe said, still unconvinced. "Still, invite him over sometime. I would really like to meet him"

"Sure" Osaka said.

Joe rematched against Osaka a few more times before the days end. He never won any of them.

Next chapter: Plans ruined. Sakaki Saga begins.


	12. Plans Ruined,  Sakaki saga begins

Plans ruined. Sakaki Saga Begins.

Note: Yomi, Kagura, Tomo, Yukari, and Nyamo have all kind of taken a back seat for this particular saga. Don't worry; they'll be taking the spotlight in the next saga. I promise.

…

"What?!" Joe said over the phone. "You're going on vacation?! Don't you think you've had enough already?"

"No way!" Tomo said. "Besides, Nyamo's taking us, and Yukari isn't coming."

"Why not?" Joe asked.

"Because Nyamo didn't feel like telling her," Tomo replyed.

"I see" Joe said with a sweat drop. "So, who's all going?"

"Myself, Nyamo, Kagura, Osaka, and Yomi." Tomo said.

"How in the world did you get Yomi to go with you coming along?" Joe asked.

"I have no idea," Tomo said "Something about ducks with tape or something like that." and she hung up.

Joe sighed.

I think she means duct tape, he thought to himself.

…

The next day

…

Joe walked out of Chiyo's house and walked down the sidewalk. He had gotten up early to go looking for an apartment, and had met the same disappointment he had for the past three weeks.

He just continued walking, mauling things over in his head.

…

He finally looked up, and realized he had no idea where he was. He had been walking and thinking things over, and hadn't been paying attention to where he was going.

Crud, where the heck am I? Joe thought.

Just as he turned, he saw Sakaki walk out of an apartment complex.

Sakaki pushed her hair behind her back, and the air almost seemed to sparkle.

Joe couldn't help but stare.

Sakaki walked up to him.

"Good morning, Joe-san" she said in her usual cool way, and continued walking to work.

"Good morning" Joe said. "Um, hey, Sakaki-san, I kinda got lost. Could you possibly tell me where Chiyo's house is?"

"That way about a mile or two" Sakaki said, as she pointed.

"Thanks," Joe said, and started walking.

Sakaki started walking to work.

No, this is the perfect opportunity, I must seize this time, or I'll go for the rest of my life not seizing any, Joe thought.

Joe turned back. "Sakaki-san?"

"Yes?" Sakaki asked.

"Would you…um…" Joe blushed and looked down at the sidewalk. "Like to go out with me? For dinner tonight, maybe?"

"uh…sure" Sakaki said, "Any particular reason?"

"N-No reason" Joe stuttered "Just you and I going out to eat somewhere…"

"OK, then" Sakaki said.

"Meet you after work?" Joe said, his eyes now meeting Sakaki's.

"Sure, I'm done at 5:30" Sakaki said.

"OK" Joe then turned to walk to Chiyo's house, and quickly turned around.

"Are you a vegetarian?" he asked.

"uh…no" Sakaki said.

"OK, then" he walked in the direction of Chiyo's house, and Sakaki continued on to work.

About a block down the road, Joe clicked his heels together in the air.

"I've got a date with Sakaki…" Joe said to himself "I gotta tell Chiyo!" and he started running.

…

Meanwhile, Kaorin met up with Sakaki.

"So, um…Sakaki-san, anything new?" Kaorin asked.

"Joe-san asked me to go out to dinner with him, and I accepted" Sakaki said.

"Oh, well, that's great" Kaorin said.

"NOOO!!! Sakaki-san, don't go!" Inner Kaorin screamed.

"So, when is he meeting you?" Kaorin asked.

"Right after work" Sakaki said.

"Well, that's quite fast" Kaorin said.

He must be planning something, Kaorin thought.

…

Joe ran to the front of Chiyo's house and knocked on the door.

Chiyo answered.

"Ah, Joe-san, good morning" Chiyo said in her usual happy way "Where were you?"

"Chiyo-san" Joe said, very excited "I have a date with Sakaki-san"

"Really?" Chiyo said, "That's awesome"

Then Joe got a nervous look on his face.

"What…will I wear?" he asked.

"Huh?" Chiyo asked.

Joe passed out, and landed on top of Chiyo.

Chiyo caught him, and even held him up.

"Wow, he's light" Chiyo said. "He needs to gain a few pounds"

…

Joe came to, and Chiyo and him spent the rest of the day discussing what the date was going to be like, as well as what to wear.

Joe decided to go with a plain shirt, since he usually wore shirts with sayings on them.

…

Kaorin was waiting outside the vet hospital where both she and Sakaki worked, and saw Joe come walking up to the door.

Their eyes met.

"Joe-san, why are you taking Sakaki-san out on a date?" Kaorin asked.

"Well…" Joe started "Because I've never had a girlfriend, Sakaki's never had a boyfriend, and I think Sakaki is one of the most beautiful girls on the planet."

Kaorin looked at him as if she was trying to look into his soul.

"You really do like her, don't you?" Joe asked.

Kaorin looked away.

Total awkward silence.

Kaorin walked past Joe.

"I…" Kaorin said, and sighed. She didn't know how to say it.

"I'm just going out to dinner with her," Joe said. "I guess I'll make sure to tell you how it goes."

Kaorin smiled "Thanks, I'll be at Chiyo's, waiting" and walked away, but still felt a little down.

Sakaki met with Joe.

"I need to go back home and get out of my work clothes," Sakaki said.

"Fine with me" Joe said.

And they both started walking to Sakaki's house.

…

Sakaki and Joe were walking toward Sakaki's house.

"Hey, look, a cat" Joe said.

A cat perked its head out.

As Joe and Sakaki stood there, more cats came out.

Soon, both Joe and Sakaki were now backed into a wall, surrounded by cats.

"I have a bad feeling about this" Joe said.

"Kamineko" Sakaki said, as Kamineko came walking out from the crowd of cats.

Every last one of the cats then smiled, revealing all of their bear-trap-like teeth.

Suddenly, a flash of movement caught Joe's eye, as it jumped right in front of Sakaki.

Mayaa was standing right in front of Sakaki, protecting her from the cats.

Mayaa hissed and gave off his battle aura.

The cats had seen this little trick before, and this time were not scared. They had numbers.

They slowly started to close in on Mayaa, Sakaki, and Joe. Mayaa jumped up into Sakaki's arms, scared now that the cats had her outnumbered.

The cats all heard barking. It sounded like a dog, and it was getting louder. All the cats scattered from the noise.

"Quick," Joe said, and grabbed Sakaki. "They'll be back" and they quickly started running in the direction of Sakaki's house.

Mayaa and Sakaki picked up on the direction of the barking. It had been right behind Sakaki, coming from Joe.

…

"Where did you learn to bark like that?" Sakaki asked.

"My mom was a pet fanatic." Joe said "You name any sort of pet; we had it at one point or another. So, I eventually picked up dog noises as well as a few cat ones, because they were my favorites. I just never thought it would come in handy one day"

They were now at Sakaki's house, and they both stopped.

A strange man with a big gray overcoat and a hat was sitting in front of the apartment complex Sakaki lived at.

The man stood up, and slowly walked toward Joe and Sakaki.

Joe clenched his fists. He was ready for a fight if this guy wanted it.

The guy took one look at Joe, decided he wasn't a threat, and then quickly looked back at Sakaki.

"Sakaki-san?" the man asked.

Sakaki nodded her head.

"I'm detective Hyama Kotake," he said, as he flashed his badge.

Joe quickly grabbed the badge and inspected it.

As soon as Joe realized the badge was real, he handed the badge back to Kotake, and relaxed. A little.

"Can I help you, detective?" Sakaki asked.

"Maim," Kotake said, and three cop cars pulled up right behind Joe and Sakaki, grabbing Joe's attention. "You are under arrest for possessing a protected animal."

As Kotake finished, Mayaa jumped out of Sakaki's arms, and ran off.

"Mayaa!" Sakaki yelled, and started running for it. The officers in the vehicles jumped out and yelled, "Freeze!"

Sakaki stopped, as she watched Mayaa dash off.

The officers then ran over to Sakaki, put her up against the wall, checked her for weapons and drugs, handcuffed her, put her in one of the cop cars and drove off.

Joe stood there, totally stunned.

I had…everything planned…Joe thought

Kotake pulled out a police radio, and spoke into it: "Chief, we've gotta get animal control, the Irimote ran off. Kotake, over and out"

Kotake then turned to the still stunned Joe.

"Hey, kid" this snapped Joe out of his trance, and he turned toward Kotake "Is there anything you would like to tell me that could help us out?"

"You've got the wrong person," Joe said "That Iriomote came to Sakaki, she didn't take it"

"She must have lied to you, too," Kotake said, completely heartlessly. "Don't worry, that animal snatcher will be going to prison for a very long time."

Kotake started to walk away, and he felt Joe grab his arm. He started to squeeze it tightly.

"Sakaki…is not…an animal snatcher," Joe said angrily "She is one of the nicest people I know."

"Let me go," Kotake said "or I'll have you arrested for battery of an officer"

Joe quickly let go, and his fist dropped to his side.

"Which courthouse are they taking her to?" Joe asked, fighting as hard as he could to hold himself back from punching this guy.

"Tokyo courthouse" Kotake said.

"You just wait," Joe said "This isn't over yet!"

And with that, he went running off in the direction of Chiyo's house.

Kotake just stood there as he watched Joe run off.

He must like her a lot, to stand up for her like that, Kotake thought

…

Joe was running down the sidewalk as he pulled out his cell phone, and speed-dialed a number.

The phone rang twice, and someone picked up.

"Hey, it's me" Joe said, "Listen, how fast can you get to Japan?"

Talking on the other side.

"You mean you've got a Japanese division?"

More talking.

"Well, tell them to get to the Tokyo courthouse, and hurry! I'll meet them there." Joe said, and he hung up.

He rounded a corner, and stopped. He found himself face to face with a wall of cats.

Kamineko jumped out from the crowd of cats and hit Joe so hard in the stomach that he was knocked backwards.

As Joe slowly got up from the hit, he noticed he had lost his glasses. All he could see now was blurs. But he could definitely tell that cats now surrounded him.

They definitely don't want me helping Sakaki, Joe thought.

All of a sudden, the cats scattered. A vehicle went driving by about two seconds later.

Joe used this opportunity to get up, and run the rest of the way to Chiyo's house.

On the way, he dialed an operator, who put him through to a taxi company.

What Joe hadn't seen was that the vehicle that had driven by had been an animal control vehicle.

…

He ran in the door to see two figures. One he figured to be Chiyo by her hair, and the other to be Kaorin from the voice.

"Well, that seemed awful fast" Kaorin said, almost sounding relieved.

"Hey, Joe, where are you're glasses?" Chiyo asked.

"Sakaki got arrested" Joe said

"What?!" Both Chiyo and Kaorin said.

"Sakaki got arrested" Joe said, louder and slower.

Kaorin got the mental image of Sakaki in prison, and passed out.

Joe ran upstairs to the guest room, where he had been sleeping. He ran to his bag of American stuff, and pulled something in the shape of a contact container.

Chiyo ran upstairs to where Joe had gone. He was standing there with the contact container in his hand.

"Joe, what are you doing?" Chiyo asked.

"I was hoping I would never have to use these again. But it seems now like I have no choice" he whispered more to himself than Chiyo.

"Chiyo-chan" Joe said "Get ready. A taxi will be here in 5 minutes. If I know how the court system works, they will try to process Sakaki today, as fast as possible."

Chiyo nodded, and ran off to get ready. She already knew what was in the container. She had asked about it in college.

Joe stood there, and slowly opened the container. He put the contacts in.

At first, everything was as blurry as it was without the contacts in. Then, slowly, the world came into focus.

He looked at his eyes in the mirror. His eyes were red, with a circle going around the pupil. On the circle were three dots with a small tail attached to them, which were referred to as "tomoe seals". One was at the top of the circle, one was on the bottom-left, and the last one was on the bottom right.

Sharingan contacts.

…

Flashback

…

"Joe, if you have contacts, why don't you wear them?" Chiyo asked, as she held on to the contact container.

"Because these aren't normal contacts. These are Sharingan contacts, given to me by some old guy during my costume player days in high school. The creepy part was, that guy died the day after he gave those to me."

Chiyo got a chill up her spine, and Joe continued.

"If my eyes become extremely watery, where I'll be on the verge of tears, anyone who looks into the eyes for a duration longer than 10 seconds will lose their balance, become dizzy, and even throw up due to this. But my eyesight slowly gets worse if I do it. Therefore, those contacts seem to adjust to whatever eyesight you have. Did you know I had 15/15 vision before I got those things?"

"What vision do you have now?" Chiyo asked.

"30/30" Joe said.

Chiyo looked at the contact container with this new information, and handed the container to Joe.

"That's why I don't ever use them. They make a person nauseous for a period of two days, and I just lose my eyesight over that" Joe said

…

End flashback

…

But now Joe had no choice. He lost his glasses in the catfight, and would have to see in order to help Sakaki. He would have to avoid getting watery eyes at all costs.

He ran outside, and Chiyo followed. They both decided that it would be better to leave Kaorin here, seeing as how she passed out just from hearing that Sakaki was arrested.

They both ran out to the taxi that had pulled up. Chiyo got in behind the driver, and Joe got in on the passenger's backseat side.

"Tokyo courthouse" Joe said, as both he and Chiyo buckled in, "and step on it"

He looked up at the driver. He turned completely white.

"What…are you doing driving a taxi?" he asked.

"Ah, this is my summer job" Yukari said. "I must say, I enjoy it"

Chiyo also turned completely white at the sound of Yukari's voice.

"Alright, off to the Tokyo courthouse!" she said, and drove off in typical Yukari style.

Any person walking by would have heard both Joe and Chiyo, screaming at the top of their lungs.

…

Sakaki sat alone in a prison cell.

She thought about Mayaa, running away from her, like all the other cats in her life have done.

Her eyes got watery, and a tear ran down her face.

An officer came in and unlocked the door.

"Sakaki-san, we're having a meeting with a lawyer to discuss your crime"

Sakaki got up and slowly walked out the prison cell. She felt empty inside.

…

Author's note: This almost seems like a rip on Naruto, for Joe having Sharingan eyes, but they are only contacts, and don't do anything even close to what they do in Naruto. Simply put, they were back from his old costume player days in high school, where he used them every day, realized their bad power, and put them away for use in emergencies only.

Please don't flame me for this bad rip. I will thoroughly enjoy using the nausea part in the next chapter.

Oh, and I have no idea if that's how people get arrested in Japan. I just used the American way. Please don't flame me for that, either.

Next Chapter: Initial Interrogation


	13. Initial Interrogation

Initial Interrogation

Note: I have no idea how a Japanese court, courthouse, or trial is set up in any way whatsoever, so I just used an American example of one. Please don't hate me for it!

…

A taxi stopped outside the Tokyo courthouse. The back doors on both sides opened, and two people fell out, one on each side.

"Kagura was right," Joe said. "It is way worse the second time.

Chiyo was still frozen in fear.

…

Joe paid off Yukari, and picked up Chiyo.

She was still frozen in fear, so he let her sit in the waiting room of the courthouse.

"I'm here," someone said behind Joe.

"Good," Joe said to the man "I just need to find out where they're holding Sakaki-san. I'll be running, so I hope you can keep up."

Joe asked the receptionist where Sakaki was being held.

"Processing room 47" the receptionist said.

Joe thanked her, and proceeded to look at the first door in the hallway.

"Processing room #1," the front of the door said.

Joe took a deep breath, and went running down the hallway, with a determined look on his face.

…

Sakaki sat down next to a person she assumed to be her lawyer. On the opposite side of the table sat another person, whom she assumed to be the state lawyer. And standing away from the table, but still within reaching length was an officer.

"So, Sakaki-san, I am Kanaye, the state's attorney. The person next to you is your lawyer, assigned to you. You are here because you are being charged with holding a protected animal in your custody. Now, the state has offered a plea bargain. You plead guilty to this crime, and you go to prison for 5 years."

"What about Mayaa?" Sakaki asked.

"Who?" Kanaye asked.

"My cat" Sakaki said, looking determined.

"Oh, she'll be returned to Okinawa, where she's from. She'll be happy there. Otherwise, you know, we'll have to run all these tests on her to look at her well-being, and I don't think either you nor her want that." Kanaye said.

The lawyer, of course, was lying. They would have to run tests on the Irimote anyway. But first they had to find it, which was still a huge problem.

The lawyer next to her whispered in her ear "Take the bargain"

Sakaki took the piece of paper, and a pen from her lawyer. She slowly read through it, and was about to place the pen on the line where she was supposed to sign. Her hand was shaking.

…

Joe ran down the hallway as fast as he could. He had lost his lawyer somewhere at Processing room 25.

"44" he counted off the doors. "45, 46"

He took one step away from room 46, and jumped. His back leg came swinging around and…

…

The two lawyers, the officer, and Sakaki all jumped when the front door was kicked in, and they saw somebody go flying by.

…

Joe went flying by door number 47 as he kicked it in. What he didn't plan was his landing. His leg that hadn't kicked the door down landed and stopped, while his body continued to go forward. He fell to the floor, landed on his face, and skidded (on his face) to a stop right outside processing room 49.

A lawyer came out of room 48 to see what the commotion was. He had truthfully been napping in the room, waiting for his defendant to show up.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU JUST DID?!" the lawyer was yelling "I'LL SUE YOUR $ INTO THE GROUND!"

Joe slowly stood up, ignoring the yelling lawyer, because his face hurt so badly. He had one hand on his face. His eyes were watering from the pain of it all.

"DID YOU HEAR ANYTHING I SAID?!" the lawyer yelled. Joe whipped around angrily and made eye contact with the lawyer.

"I WILL SUE YOU FOR BREAKING UP MY MEETING! I'LL SUE YOU FOR BREAKING AND ENTERING! I'LL SUE YOU FOR A MILLION…" the lawyer stopped. He now saw three Joe's, now five, now seven. His world was spinning around. The lawyer fell to the floor, as his world just kept spinning.

Joe dried his eyes, and walked in the door that said "Processing Room 47"

"I'm sorry for causing all that ruckus, but I'm here with my lawyer to represent Sakaki-san" Joe said, with a smile, slightly panting because he was out of breath.

By this time, Joe's lawyer had finally caught up.

"I'm sorry, but Sakaki-san already has a lawyer," Kanaye said "She can't have a different one.

Joe's lawyer came up from behind him, and pointed a finger in the air.

OBJECTION!!

"A person may switch lawyers at any time, as long as said person agrees to it!" Phoenix Wright announced.

Joe and Phoenix looked at Sakaki.

Sakaki looked up at Joe, right into his eyes. His eyes were a different color, and had something in them.

Must be contacts, Sakaki thought.

"Sakaki-san, please" Joe said.

Sakaki looked more determined than ever.

"I'll switch to his lawyer," Sakaki said.

And with that, the lawyer that was sitting next to Sakaki got up and left.

Kanaye cursed in his mind. The last lawyer he wanted to face was Phoenix Wright. How in the world did this kid get hold of the Ace Attorney, and on such short notice?

Joe sat down next to Sakaki, and Phoenix sat down next to Joe.

"So, where were we?" Joe asked.

"Sakaki was just about to sign a plea bargain." Kanaye said, looking slightly nervous.

Joe leaned over and whispered into Sakaki's ear.

"Don't sign it. We'll find a way to get you out of this, scot-free"

Sakaki smiled, and then looked determinedly over at Kanaye.

"I'm not signing any plea bargain," Sakaki said.

"Fine, then. We'll have a court date set in two weeks," Kanaye said, obviously irritated.

"Wait, we're not done" Joe said, a saying that even surprised Sakaki and Phoenix.

Kanaye sat back down, now even more irritated than he was before.

"We would like to move to have Sakaki placed under house arrest" Joe said.

"Denied" Kanaye said "This is a case concerning a matter of the home, and what she keeps in it. She cannot be placed under house arrest."

"Then let's have her placed in the custody of her parents" Joe said, still keeping his cool while Kanaye slowly lost his.

"Parents?" Kanaye asked.

"Yes. My friend told me that her mother is allergic to animals. So, let us place her under the watch of her parents." Joe said.

At this, both Phoenix and Sakaki pulled him back to huddle.

"What are you doing?" they both asked.

"Listen, Sakaki would not last in prison, you know that" Joe said to Phoenix. "Sakaki, I'm sorry, but I don't think anybody could just stand there and watch you go to prison."

"But," Sakaki said, "I don't think I can stand to go back to my parents house again. Plus, what would my parents think?"

"Your parents will always love you, no matter what" Joe said, with a smile.

"Phoenix" Joe turned to face the Ace Attorney. "Is it alright to place her under house arrest in her parents home?"

"As long as the parents and the opposing lawyer agree to it." Phoenix said.

The parents would be easy, it would be the opposing lawyer that would be hard, Joe thought.

All three of them turned around to face Kanaye again.

"Alright, here's the deal" Joe said "We place her under house arrest at her parents house until this is settled. Just as a place to hold her, rather than having her sit in prison all that time."

Kanaye sat down, and thought about it.

"Fine," Kanaye said. "But the deal is she cannot come into contact with any sort of animal…"

No problem there, Joe thought sarcastically, looking over at Sakaki, who looked like she had just been hit by a 10 ton weight.

"…and she must remain in the house 24 hours a day." Kanaye finished, with an evil smile.

"But what about her job, buying food, among other things?" Joe asked.

"Her parents must go shopping for her. As for her job, I guess she'll lose it," Kanaye said, working his hardest to contain his joy.

Sakaki pulled Joe back.

"Absolutely not" Sakaki said, "I don't want to lose my job! I love being a vet!"

"And what do you think will happen if you go to prison?" Joe asked, "You will still lose your job, you will never see Mayaa again, and, as an added bonus, you will become a lesbian sex toy for the next five years of your life!"

Sakaki was taken aback by this bit of harshness.

He never meant to be so blunt, but Sakaki didn't know what awaited her in prison. Joe had a class that showed him precisely what prison is like, and they partially censored it.

Joe turned back to Kanaya. Sakaki slowly turned around. She felt trapped in a corner, completely helpless.

"Fine," Joe said. "You know, I never realized that even here, lawyers tend to be such jerks. No offense, Phoenix"

"None taken" Phoenix responded

Kanaya stood up again. "Well, I hope you know that now, you have doomed your girlfriend to more than 5 years in prison." Kanaya responded, in a scathing tone.

Joe stood up, and pounded his fists on the table. His eyes were getting watery, just from the sheer hatred he now had against Kanaya.

"She will not be going to prison!" Joe yelled. "She is innocent!"

Their eyes locked. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then Kanaya moved, but not in the way he wanted to. He fell to the floor; his breathing was a heavy sick kind. Kanaya's world was spinning.

Joe wiped the water from his eyes.

"C'mon, you guys" Joe said, "We're leaving"

Phoenix and Sakaki stood up, and both left the room. As Joe left, he turned to the officer in the room.

"You may want to bring him a garbage, he'll start throwing up soon" Joe said.

The other lawyer that had looked into Joe's Sharingan contacts was still on the floor, unable to even get on his hands and knees. He was already throwing up.

Phoenix, Sakaki, and Joe walked down the hall.

This was going to be hell, and they all knew it.

…

Author's notes: Have none…

Next Chapter: Sakaki in lockdown, with more problems


	14. Sakaki in a Lockdown with more problems

Sakaki in Lockdown, with More problems

Joe, Phoenix, and Sakaki all walked down the hallway. Before they reached the waiting room, Sakaki was handcuffed once again, and taken to a police car.

Sakaki walked by Chiyo, and couldn't make eye contact. It was just too embarrassing.

Joe and Phoenix walked out into the waiting room.

"Glad to see you're feeling better, Chiyo" Joe said

"So, how'd it go?" Chiyo asked.

"Not well" Joe said "Sakaki is being placed under house arrest at her parents house, and she won't be able to leave until her trial is over"

"That bad, huh?" Chiyo said

"Worse. She's also going to lose her job, and she cannot come into contact with any sort of animal while under house arrest." Joe said.

"Ouch" Chiyo said. She knew Sakaki's love of animals was going to seriously suffer.

"What makes matters even worse is that Mayaa is still on the loose. The officers couldn't find him." Phoenix added. "Listen, I may already have a plan. I'll explain it on the way over to Sakaki's house."

Both Joe and Chiyo were listening intently to Phoenix's plan.

"Now, we're not going to be able to deny that Sakaki owned the protected animal. The officers have far too much evidence against that. Instead, if we can prove that the animal is better off in Sakaki's care than she would have been in the wild, we may be able to not only get Sakaki out of this jam, but also get her and Mayaa back together."

"I say we go for it" Joe said

Chiyo nodded in agreement.

"Well, it's going to be much harder. First the police need to find Mayaa. We then need to get him to a vet and prove that the animal is in good condition." Phoenix said.

The taxi stopped, and all three of them got out. The police were already setting up devices outside Sakaki's house. One officer was attaching a device to Sakaki's leg.

"Now, that is a GPS device." The officer was explaining. "It won't come off without us. It will basically tell us if you leave the house."

"But how am I..." Sakaki started, and then looked down in embarrassment.

The officer got the hint. "It's waterproof, so you can shower or bathe with it on." The officer said.

One officer talked to Joe, Phoenix, and Chiyo.

"Well, everything is all set up around Sakaki's house, and the parents have been informed of the situation." he said. He then pulled them closer. "We're still looking, but we're unable to find even the slightest trace of that Yamamayaa cat".

Joe just kept thinking to himself. Where would Mayaa go, if Sakaki were locked down?

The taxi had turned itself around, and Phoenix got in.

"You can go" Joe said "Chiyo and I can walk home."

"Suit yourself" Phoenix said. "Oh, and don't forget, in two weeks is the court date."

"See if you can possibly get it moved up. I want to get this set up and done as quickly as possible," Joe said.

Phoenix nodded, and the taxi drove off.

Chiyo and Joe looked back at Sakaki's parent's house. There were sensors all around the house, and with that lock on Sakaki's leg, she wasn't going anywhere.

Sakaki walked into her parent's house. The door closed behind her, signaling the lockdown to begin.

Sakaki went up to her old room (which her parents had converted to a guest room when she had left) and fell on the bed. The image of Mayaa running away from her, her now being a prisoner in her parent's house once again, and being unable to even touch an animal while she is locked down.

She buried her head in her pillow, and cried.

As Joe walked away, he continually looked back at Sakaki's parent's house until he could no longer see it. Even though he knew he had protected Sakaki from the evil prisons, he still had that empty feeling inside, like this was some sort of inhumane torture, and he was responsible for it.

Joe and Chiyo walked into Chiyo's house, and they both let out a heavy sigh. This was going to be awful, and they knew it.

"I'll go make us some tea," Chiyo said. She was forcing a smile, and Joe could tell.

He slowly walked up to the guest room, with that empty feeling still inside. The curtains were blowing in the breeze from the window that he had left open.

"Mayaa!!" Joe gasped. Mayaa was standing there, breathing heavily, and his legs were shaking. Suddenly, Mayaa passed out and fell over sideways on Joe's futon.

Joe ran over to Mayaa, put his head on Mayaa's chest, and listened. He was breathing. Good. Joe picked him up, and held him close. He was so warm, and it made Joe feel a little better that he knew Mayaa was safe.

Chiyo came walking upstairs with the tea, on a silver platter. She came into the guest room.

"Chiyo-chan, Mayaa's OK" Joe said, and he turned around and showed Chiyo. "Look!"

Chiyo's look turned to that of shock, and of fear. She dropped the platter, and it all came crashing to the floor.

"What?" Joe asked.

"Joe...look...at your shirt" Chiyo said, shaking in fear.

Joe looked. His white shirt was covered in blood close to where he was holding Mayaa.

"Oh my god" Joe said "We need to get Mayaa to a vet, fast!"

"How?!" Chiyo asked. "If we bring Mayaa into a vet's office, they'll recognize it, and turn it over to the police."

Joe's mind raced. Chiyo was right, they couldn't go to any vet's offices, and Sakaki was on lockdown.

"What about Kaorin?" he asked.

"Kaorin's a trained vet, she could do it!" Chiyo said at this discovery.

They both ran out of the guest room, and ran down the stairs.

"I knew that Yamamayaa cat would come to you" Hyama Kotake was standing right in Chiyo's doorway. Joe and Chiyo both stopped, frozen. "Now, hand over the Yamamayaa, nice and easy now."

"Listen, this cat needs urgent medical attention," Joe said. "We need to get it to a vet"

Kotake sighed. "Listen, kid, you can do this the easy way, or the hard way. I don't think you want to do this the hard way, do you?"

Kotake took one step forward. Joe and Chiyo braced themselves.

"I saw Sakaki, after you guys left." Kotake said. He then whispered, "I saw her crying"

The mental image of Sakaki crying entered Joe's mind. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to get it out, but he couldn't.

Why do I care so much? Joe thought, why does it hurt me to see Sakaki crying?

"Now, just hand the cat over nicely" Kotake said. He opened his arms and took one step forward.

"Nooo!!" Joe screamed, and stepped off his back foot. His whole body hit Kotake's stomach straight on. Kotake lost his breath.

Joe wasn't finished. He then elbowed Kotake in the face, and kneed him right in the crotch.

Kotake was now on the floor, trying to gasp for his breath.

Joe took two steps back.

"I'm sorry, I don't why I just did that. All I know is, it was the right thing to do" and he ran out of the door.

Chiyo stood there, stunned at what Joe had just done. She looked at Joe running, then at Kotake, back at Joe running, back at Kotake, then went running after Joe.

Kotake pulled out his walkie.

"Two kids have the Yamamayaa. I think they're headed over to Sakaki's parent's house to get it treated. Get ready to ambush them when they get there. Kotake out" he gasped, and slowly stood up.

Joe and Chiyo ran toward Kaorin's house (Joe was losing Chiyo). He then stopped, as he was once again facing off against a wall of cats.

"What is with these things?" Joe asked. "They're getting violent more and more!"

Joe ran off in some opposite direction, and the cats all followed him.

As Chiyo ran through the same area, not one cat was around to attack her.

"Crap,…I'm…losing…him" Chiyo was gasping out.

I knew I should have exercised more in college, Chiyo thought. And she ran on to Kaorin's house.

…

Chiyo reached Kaorin's house in a breathless state.

Just then, she saw Joe run up from the opposite direction in which she came.

"Did…you…get…lost?" Chiyo panted out

"No,…there…were…a bunch of…cats…chasing me," Joe gasped out.

They both ran to Kaorin's door, and knocked on it.

No response.

"Maybe she's not home…" Chiyo said.

"Try calling inside" Joe said

Chiyo tried calling Kaorin's house with her cell phone. They both heard it ring 4 times, and then an answering machine pick up.

"She's not home, where would she be?" Chiyo wondered.

"At Sakaki's house," Joe said, almost like he knew, "possibly trying to cheer her up"

"Let's try" Chiyo said, and started dialing the number.

"They'll be tracing your number when you call Sakaki. Just ask if Kaorin is there." Joe said.

"Gotcha" Chiyo said, and dialed the rest of the number.

…

Sakaki was sitting there with Kaorin, having some tea. Kaorin could tell Sakaki had been crying, and the tea obviously wasn't making her feel any better.

The phone rang, and Sakaki's mother answered it.

To describe Sakaki's mother, she looked exactly like Sakaki, except her hair and eye color are blue. She was also American.

"Ah, Chiyo-chan" Sakaki's mother said "How's it going?"

"Hi, is Kaorin there?" Chiyo asked.

"Yes, she is. Would you like for me to call for her?" Sakaki's mother asked.

"No, that's fine, thanks for letting me know, bye!" and Chiyo hung up.

Sakaki's mother hung up the phone. This whole ordeal with Sakaki had made things very stressful around the house.

…

"Kaorin is there." Chiyo said to Joe, "Worse yet, Sakaki's mother is there as well"

Joe's mind was racing again. Sakaki's parents house is much closer than Chiyo's house is (in fact, it was only a few blocks away), but the entire place was completely locked down.

"We need to get in there" Joe said "Sakaki-san and Kaorin are the only one's who can save Mayaa now"

And Joe and Chiyo started running again to get to the house.

…

Author's notes: I've got nothing for this. I've got to say that this is almost my best chapter yet (in my eyes anyway). Filled with action, suspense, and drama all in one. Although, I do realize now that this saga is getting away from the comedy and into the seriousness.

I'll have to get it back to the funny in the next saga.

Next chapter: Breaking past a lockdown! Mayaa's surgery


	15. Breaking past a lockdown, Mayaas surgery

Breaking past a lockdown!! Mayaa's Surgery.

…

Joe and Chiyo came up on Sakaki's parent's house.

Joe was the one who had watched all the police TV shows as a child. He knew how they operated.

He stood behind a building, and checked around the corner.

"OK, there is a car with two officers sitting in it. It looks like a plain, ordinary car. Next, there is a camera right on top of the door." Joe said.

"Looks like there is also a camera on every window." Chiyo said.

"Just what vision do you have?" Joe asked, surprised that Chiyo had seen this.

"Last time I had it checked; I believe he said 13/19" Chiyo said.

Joe turned back to the house. They had to come up with a plan to get Mayaa in there, so Sakaki could help him. And Mayaa's breathing was getting weaker. They would have to hurry.

He looked over at Chiyo, and that's when an idea came to him.

"Chiyo, I have an idea," he said.

…

They both strolled as if nothing was going on right up to Sakaki's door. Both of the police officers saw them on the camera. None of them were holding any sort of animals, but the tall guy had something that looked like blood on his shirt.

Chiyo rang the doorbell. Sakaki's mother answered.

"Ah, Chiyo-chan, Joe-san, please come in" she said, "Joe-san, what's that on your shirt?"

"I was painting the guest room in Chiyo's house." Joe lied without missing a beat.

"What kind of person paints there room blood-red?" One officer in the car asked, as he took another big bite of a donut.

"You have seen stranger," his partner said, and he took another big bite of his donut.

…

"Sakaki's room is right upstairs. They already…"Sakaki's mother sneezed "…have the tea ready upstairs." Sakaki's mother sneezed again.

"Thank you very much, we'll go up there right away" Joe said

"Oh, and by the way, Chiyo-chan" Sakaki's mother said as she sneezed again, "So glad to see you're breasts have grown."

Both Joe and Chiyo tripped on the stairs they were on, and continued walking upstairs.

They knocked on Sakaki's door, and came bursting in before they got a response.

Kaorin stood up as she saw Joe.

"You're not wanted here," Kaorin said in a very serious tone "You were the one who got Sakaki into this mess in the first place."

Joe wasn't listening. He closed his eyes, and Chiyo pulled up her shirt, pulled out Mayaa, and pulled her shirt back down.

Sakaki's eyes went wide as she saw Mayaa.

"Sakaki-san!" Joe said, as he opened his eyes. "Mayaa's hurt, he needs medical attention!"

Kaorin and Sakaki both gasped. Sakaki quickly took Mayaa, and checked his breathing.

"His breathing is weak, but still there. Kaorin, quickly, get me some bandages!" Sakaki said. "Chiyo, get me a bowl of water, and a cold washcloth!"

"Yes!" they both said, and left the room.

"How can I help?" Joe asked.

Sakaki checked Mayaa's body, and found that he was bleeding badly from the leg.

"I need you to apply pressure here, and here," Sakaki said, and Joe did so "That should stop the bleeding for now"

Kaorin and Chiyo came back with their supplies.

"Kaorin, I'm also going to need some thread, alcohol, and one of my mother's stitching needles."

"What are we going to do about Mayaa being awake?" Kaorin asked.

That's when both Joe and Chiyo understood. Mayaa would need surgery, but she would have to be asleep in order to do such a thing, and the fact is, nobody had anything to put her to sleep.

Sakaki was silent for a moment.

"We're going to have to try with him awake. I just hope he won't go into shock while we're operating."

"Don't worry, Sakaki," Joe said. "Mayaa's a tough cat. He can handle it."

I hope, Joe thought.

…

Kotake pulled up in his cop car, along with more cop cars. One swat truck also pulled up.

"I'm not taking this kid's crap any more" Kotake said.

Around the corner, Kamineko watched this event take place. He almost seemed to be enjoying it.

…

Joe held the leg as Sakaki had told him to, to cut off the leg and stop the bleeding. Kaorin was responsible for holding the back legs to make sure they wouldn't scratch Sakaki, and Chiyo was responsible for listening to the heartbeat, to make sure Mayaa was still alive.

Sakaki ran the string through the needle, and took a deep breath.

"Let's begin," she said.

Her first poke into the skin, Mayaa let out a weak meow, and slightly moved his back legs, which Kaorin had pinned down.

Sakaki continued with the stiching. Chiyo would also wipe the sweat off of Sakaki's forehead with the wet towel, and Joe would listen to the heartbeat while Chiyo did this.

Finally, Sakaki stitched up the last part of Mayaa's leg.

"Done" Sakaki said, as she let out a sigh of relief. She took the towel and wiped her face.

"Then, Mayaa's going to be OK?" Joe asked.

"Mayaa will be fine" Sakaki said, also happy.

Chiyo and Joe looked happily at Mayaa, who now seemed to be asleep after the whole ordeal he had just gone through.

"Sakaki-san?" Kaorin whispered. "What caused that deep gash in his leg?"

"It's hard to tell" Sakaki whispered back. "But it looks like a cat fight wound, and the opposing cat got a direct hit on him. I'm just glad he's OK"

"Well, Sakaki, we'd better go" Joe said. "The cops will probably come looking for us here."

"You mean they know you have Mayaa?" Sakaki asked, concerned.

"Yes. That officer named Kotake knew Mayaa would come to either Chiyo or myself. So Kotake waited for Mayaa." Joe said. "But, now that Mayaa's been treated, we can work on getting you out of this mess."

Joe curled up Mayaa in his arms, and stood up. He looked at Sakaki.

Sakaki just stood there, the look of fear in her eyes.

Joe felt a chop on the back of his neck, and he instantly lost conciousness. An arm grabbed Mayaa out of Joe's arms, just as Joe fell to the floor.

"Mayaa!" Sakaki screamed, and started charging.

The man whipped out a gun, and pointed directly at Sakaki's head.

Sakaki stopped, but still looked like she was ready to charge.

"Wrap him up, boys" Kotake said. "Take Sakaki-san into custody for breaking the regulations of her house arrest, and take the other two for being accomplices."

One officer took Joe's limp body, slung it over his shoulder, and walked out.

Sakaki was once again handcuffed, and taken away.

Both Chiyo and Kaorin were also arrested.

…

Joe woke up in a prison cell. The back of his neck hurt terribly.

Joe stood up and cracked the back of his neck, which made it feel better. Standing outside the bars, an officer unlocked the door.

Phoenix walked in.

"I hope you know what you just did," Phoenix said sternly.

"I know that I brought Mayaa to Sakaki, but Mayaa was in desperate need of surgery, and I didn't know what else to do." Joe said "So, how long have I been out?"

"A good day and a half. Kotake was mad at you for hitting him like you did. Any harder though, and he would have broken your neck" Phoenix responded.

"So, Sakaki's going to prison, then?" Joe asked.

"Not quite. We might have a chance to turn this around, if Mayaa recovers from his injuries that Sakaki tied up." Phoenix said.

This made Joe feel a little better.

"And I can take the blame for bringing the animal to her in the first place. It was my idea" Joe said, almost sounding ashamed.

"You do that, and we may win this one yet" Phoenix said, smiling.

Joe and Phoenix walked out of the prison.

"Oh, and by the way, Kanaye, the opposing lawyer, still hasn't stopped throwing up." Phoenix added, laughing.

Joe didn't laugh. It made him realize something he had completely forgotten up 'til now. He was still wearing the Sharingan contacts.

…

Authors Notes: This chapter was kind of short, due to the fact that I didn't feel like any gruesome detail was needed in the Mayaa surgery.

Next Chapter: The Trial and Aftermath. The final chapter of the Sakaki saga.


	16. The Trial and Aftermath, End Sakaki saga

The Trial and Aftermath. The final chapter of the Sakaki saga.

…

Joe was watching the news the next morning, because the trial for Sakaki was today, and he needed to know if any news stations got hold of anything.

"Well, a woman by the name of Sakaki-san was arrested two days ago, after being charged with holding a protected animal in her custody, and then breaking her house arrest rules…"

There it was, Joe thought to himself.

"…Her court date is set for today," the news reporter continued. "In other news, wild cat attacks continue to go on the rise. Many animal experts are saying that it could be due to the fact that the Yamamayaa was keeping the peace around the neighborhood. We will bring you more on this story as it develops."

Joe had gone to an eyeglasses specialist, and had gotten his glasses ordered. It would be a good two days before he got them. In the mean time, he would have to just wear his Sharingan contacts, though he could definitely feel the strain the contacts were putting on his eyes.

Sakaki had spent the two days in prison, and now she could see why Joe had kept her in her house. The catcalls that all the prison girls had given her were enough to make her sick.

…

Chiyo and Kaorin were released, because the state decided not to press charges (and the fact that Chiyo was a child genius helped that decision)

The day of the court date came. Sakaki was placed in a seat next to Joe, who was sitting next to Phoenix. She could see Kenaya in the other seat. He still looked a little nauseous.

Joe was looking over at Kenaya to try to make himself feel a little more relaxed, but it wasn't helping.

"All rise" the officer said. Everybody rose, and then sat down as the judge ordered them to.

"Your honor," Kenaya said, "The state would like to drop all charges against Sakaki-san"

"Say what?!" Phoenix, Sakaki, and Joe all said at once.

"They have an incriminating piece of evidence that proves that Sakaki-san cared for the Yamamayaa. Also, last night, the Yamamayaa escaped from police custody" Kenaya said.

"WHAT?!" Joe and Sakaki both screamed.

"Well, so glad to hear that this was settled then" the judge said. "So, I'm off, then"

"But..." Sakaki started. What would she do?

Flashback to a few days ago

Sakaki had just finished watching the news report about her with Mayaa, and her boss immediately called her up.

"You're fired" the man said "We cannot have any sort of bad person working here" and he hung up.

"Don't worry about it, Sakaki-san" Joe said, "At least your out of prison."

"But Mayaa is out there again! And this time he's injured!" Sakaki started yelling, something completely out of her nature. Joe was completely taken back by this.

"You were the one who brought him to me, and did all of this to me!" Sakaki yelled some more. "You were the one who brought a lawyer into this, and kept me locked away in my parents house, with myself being unable to touch an animal! And then you had to abuse an officer, and almost put me in jail for even longer! I hate you, and I never want to see you again!" and she ran out of the courtroom, tears flying from her eyes.

Joe looked down, his anger built up. He punched the table in pure anger.

(This next part is completely said in English)

As Joe walked out of the courtroom, his cell phone rang.

"You know," said someone on the other line, "You could have just told me you were going off to Japan."

"Who is this?" Joe asked.

"It's me, your old boss."

Joe just chuckled. "What's up?"

"How'd you like to have your old job back as a freelance game programmer?" the boss asked.

"Sir, I'm in Japan." Joe said.

"You know, we have a Japanese division. Even have room and board. Could start you right away," the boss said.

"That...would be great." Joe said non-enthusiastically. He had other things on his mind at the moment.

"Great. It'll just take two weeks to get everything set up," the boss said.

"Great. Thanks again" Joe said.

"And hey, cheer up" the boss said as he hung up.

Joe's little smile that he had vanished. Sakaki's words still echoed in his head. His anger had turned in sadness.

A week passed by. Joe got his new glasses, and put away his Sharingan contacts, possibly forever.

Joe had told Chiyo of the good news. Chiyo seemed eccentric about it, and told everybody else.

Sakaki never could find a new vet job. Every vet area had seen her story, and didn't want to hire her. She now spent her days over at Kaorin's apartment.

Kaorin called up Chiyo one day.

"Hey, Chiyo-chan, I wish I could help cheer Sakaki up." Kaorin said.

"Yeah, I wish I could, too" Chiyo responded.

Joe left the house on his own. He knew they were talking about Sakaki, and Joe couldn't think at all over the past week. Chiyo was massacring him, from their morning fistfights to Shogi. He had completely lost his focus.

Joe stopped by a park bench, and sat down. He breathed heavily, and wondered what he was going to do. He buried his face in his hands.

He felt a gun against the back of his neck. He didn't even bother to put his hands up. He was not in a good mood.

"I don't have any money or valuables on me" Joe said, "In fact, I'm a heartbroken guy"

"You really shouldn't reveal that to anybody" Kotake said, as he put his gun away.

Joe sighed. "What is wrong with me? Here I thought I was going to be the single guy forever, and enjoy it. Then Sakaki-san...then there was the court case..."

"Come with me" Kotake said. "I want to show you something"

"That is what you wanted to show me?" Joe said. Kotake had taken him to a run-down, beaten old building.

"This building has been abandoned for years. You can get it dirt cheap now." Kotake said, and started to walk away.

"Hey, why did you show me this?" Joe yelled.

"Figure it out. You're a smart guy." Kotake yelled back, and walked off.

Joe stared at the building, and just couldn't seem to figure out what Kotake was talking about.

That's when Chiyo called him up.

"Hey, Chiyo" Joe said, still trying to figure it out.

"Hey, Joe, how are you?" Chiyo asked, seriously concerned.

"Meh" Joe responded. He paused, and then asked, "How's Sakaki-san?"

"After a week of being denied at every single veterinarian office, I think she's becoming disheartened."

Everything came together at that point. Joe figured out the puzzle Kotake had set for him.

"Chiyo, I'll be back at your house in a few minutes. I need to show you something." and he hung up and started running.

"Brilliant!!" Chiyo said. "You start getting the supplies we need!."

"But what about the man-power? Kaugra, Osaka, Tomo, Yomi, and Nyamo are all out on that vacation. And Yukari's probably working" Joe asked.

"I've got that covered" and Chiyo ran off in the direction of her house.

"Remember!" Joe yelled. "Three days for shipping of supplies!"

Joe started running for the supplies center. They were going to need a lot of stuff.

Joe came back three days later to find Chiyo standing there. And behind her, were at least one hundred people.

"Who are these people?" Joe asked.

"Some of them are from the high school that Sakaki and I went to. Others are from the elementary school I went to."

"We're ready to help Sakaki" Chihiro said.

"Chiyo-chan asked us to help her, so we volunteered" Miruchi said.

"Yeah, so let's help in any way we can!" Yuka-can exclaimed.

Three big semis pulled next to where Joe was standing. The three trucks opened up to reveal supplies.

"OK, then!" Joe exclaimed. "Let's get to work!"

Kaorin received a phone call. Sakaki was petting Mayaa, who had found Sakaki the day Sakaki ran away from the courthouse. In fact, he had been waiting outside for Sakaki.

Petting Mayaa was the only comfort Sakaki got these days.

"Really?!' Kaorin exclaimed. "OK, then." She then whispered: "I'll bring her there"

"Sakaki-san?" Kaorin said. "I have a surprise for you."

Kaorin made Sakaki close her eyes, and she slowly walked to make sure Sakaki wasn't peeking. They rounded a corner, and…

"OK, open them up" Kaorin said.

Sakaki opened her eyes, and gasped.

Standing there was a building that looked amazing. It looked as if the building was brand new. And on the front, in big, red letters, were the words "Yamamayaa Pet Hospital" And standing in front of it were Chiyo, Kaorin, Chihiro, and everybody else who had ever attended high school with Sakaki.

"Surprise!" They all yelled.

A tear rolled down both of Sakaki's cheeks. She wiped them away.

"Thank you all, so very much" Sakaki said, and bowed.

"Well, we just helped with the rebuilding of this place" Chihiro said.

"The real mastermind behind all of this is standing underneath the tree behind you." Chiyo said.

Leaning up against a tree behind Sakaki was Joe.

Sakaki whipped around. "You…did this for me?" Sakaki asked.

Joe nodded. With a little help from a friend, he thought.

Sakaki walked up close to him.

"Thank you…so very much" Sakaki said.

Joe looked down at the ground off to the right in embarrassment. "No problem," Joe said, "I mean, I'm sure any other friend would have done this for y…"

As he turned back up to look at Sakaki, she unexpectedly kissed him.

Chiyo got the pupil-less look, and her mouth dropped open. Kaorin stopped breathing for a minute. Many of the guys started doing the wolf-call, among other things.

Sakaki pulled away. Joe just stood frozen there for a minute, before falling to the ground.

Sakaki giggled, and ran inside the building to look at it.

Everybody walked inside with Sakaki, while Chiyo went over to look at Joe.

He was lying on the ground, his eyes half closed. He had a goofy grin on his face, with a little bit of drool coming out of the corner.

"Wow…" Joe said. "She's…an awesome…kisser…"

He stood up, and went inside the building, doing the little floaty-tiptoeing all the way in, still wearing that goofy look on his face.

"That's what you call love, I guess" Chiyo said, and followed him inside.

…

Author's notes: Finally, another saga done. This one took me almost a month to write, due to the fact I had discovered Disgaea and Disgaea 2 for the PS2, and I'm a huge RPG fan.

Next Saga to come soon!!

JBK


	17. Chihiro, Michiru, and Yukachan bgn saga

Chihiro, Yuka-chan, and Michiru, Begin Miscellaneous saga

Notes: Many thanks to all of you for giving me great reviews and criticisms. It was the one thing that gave me initiative to keep writing this. These next chapters are dedicated to you guys.

Oh, and as promised, Joe, Sakaki, and Kaorin are going to take backseat for the next few chapters.

…

Tomo, Yomi, Kaugura, Osaka, and Nyamo all got out of the rental van and stretched out.

"Man, that was an awesome vacation!" Tomo said.

"I know what you mean," Kagura said.

"The one thing that surprised me was that you were actually silent most of the time, Tomo." Yomi said.

"Just enjoying my free time," Tomo said.

They all walked up Chiyo's driveway, but Joe was standing in front of the doorway.

"Man, you guys missed a lot" Tomo said.

"Oh, we had our own brand of fun while you guys were gone," Joe said.

Something disturbed Yomi. The way Joe was smiling. He looked as if he had something evil planned.

"Oh, by the way, I have present for you guys" Joe said.

"Really?! You got us gifts?" Tomo said, excited.

"Maybe he got us a okata" Osaka said, and started to stare off

"okata..." she chanted to herself

"Not quite" Joe said "You see, Sakaki went to jail while you guys were out, and Chiyo-chan, Kaorin-san, and I spent our time trying to get her out."

"Man, that sounds awful" Nyamo said "but at least you got her out"

"Well, after Chiyo-chan and I had to ride with Yukari-san again" Joe responded.

Everybody except for Tomo winced.

"Hahahaha!" Tomo laughed in his face "You and Chiyo again! Hahahaha!"

"Getting back on subject," Joe said, still having that evil smile on his face even after getting laughed at by Tomo. "I present to you, your 'gift'...

Joe opened the door to Chiyo's house.

A hand grabbed hold of the doorframe, which pulled out the rest of the body of Yukari-sensei.

And she was not happy.

Noticing that it was Yukari-sensei, even Osaka was snapped out of her daydreaming, and now had the scared look that everybody else had on their face.

"You guys...went on vacation...WITHOUT ME!!!" Yukari yelled.

"Run for your lives!!" Yomi screamed.

Tomo, Kagura, Nyamo, Yomi, and Osaka all ran for the van, as Yukari chased them.

When it was obvious that Yukari would catch them if they tried to get into the van, they all started running down the street.

Joe, on the other hand, was rolling on the ground, laughing so hard that tears were rolling down his face.

Things finally got settled down. After getting in that one week of vacation time, Yukari, Nyamo, Osaka, and Tomo would soon have to go back to teaching at school.

Sakaki now worked at her Yamamayaa pet hospital. Kaorin had taken a job as the secretary, and they had even hired some more veterinarians. And with the help of Joe and Chiyo, they had managed to get a large customer base.

Joe had gotten his own house, as par with his job.

Chiyo's parents had left for their jobs for the day, but they had left Chiyo some money, because they needed more shopping supplies, as well as groceries for that night's dinner.

Chiyo left the house and locked it up.

At the grocery store, she was picking out the best-looking head of lettuce when two people walked up.

"Chiyo-chan!" one of them said.

Chiyo looked to see Michiru and Yuka-chan standing next to her. Immediately, Chiyo noticed that both of them were now taller than her.

"Hi!" Chiyo said in her usual happy tone.

"Didn't really have a chance to talk to you after we helped fix that place for your friend, Sakaki-san" Yuka-chan said.

Chiyo walked around the grocery store with Yuka-chan and Michiru, and talked some more.

"So, where are you guys going to school now?" Chiyo asked.

"Same school you went to in high school!" Michiru said.

"Wow!" Chiyo responded. "Who's your homeroom teacher?"

"Yukari-sensei" Yuka-chan responded.

"I had her, too" Chiyo said "She's a little weird"

"I have Kasuga-sensei" Michiru responded.

"Kasuga-sensei?" Chiyo asked.

"Yeah, she's a nice teacher, but often stares off into space, mumbling about ponytails or something like that. But she's really good at riddles" Michiru said.

Chiyo got a surprised look on her face.

"Osaka-san is your teacher?!" Chiyo yelled in surprise.

"Osaka-san?" Michiru asked, completely unaware that her teacher's nickname was Osaka.

"Oh, uh...it's nothing" Chiyo said.

Kasuga-sensei? Sounds weird. Then again, I was the one who recommended she become a teacher, Chiyo thought.

Yuka-chan walked up to the other side of Chiyo.

"What's really weird, though, is how Kimura-sensei has taken a liking to Michiru, calling her 'Miruchi' all the time" Yuka-chan said. "He picks on me, too"

"Yeah. Back when I was in high school, he picked on poor Kaorin." Chiyo said, remembering those awful days.

Michiru grinned evilly.

"Maybe it's because," Michiru said "Yuka-chan has gotten big breasts."

"Oh, please, you have some too!" Yuka-chan struck back.

While Michiru and Yuka-chan argued about their breast sizes, Chiyo had stopped walking, and looked down at hers.

She had managed to stick it out in Tomo and Osaka's group all these years. (Refer to episode 4 of Azumanga Daioh)

She then caught back up with Michiru and Yuka-chan when they yelled her name.

After checking out of the store, Michiru and Yuka-chan said their goodbye's.

"Well, we'd better be going, see you!" Michiru said.

"Bye!" Yuka-chan said.

Chiyo waved goodbye.

She just kept thinking to herself that it was a little weird that both of her grade school friends were now going to the same high school she had gone to, while she, Chiyo-chan, had already graduated from college.

She just giggled at this, and left the grocery store. What she didn't expect was to run right in to Chihiro.

"Sorry!' Chihiro said. "Ah, Chiyo-chan!"

"Chihiro-chan!" Chiyo said.

Chiyo and Chihiro walked down the busy shopping center, talking to each other.

"I never did get to ask you when you helped with Sakaki-san's vet hospital, what did you do after high school?" Chiyo asked.

"I became a psychiatrist." Chihiro responded.

"What made you decide to do that?" Chiyo asked.

"I always had problems understanding people in high school. But now I understand a good portion of them." Chihiro responded.

Chihiro then leaned in closer to Chiyo.

"By the way, I think Kaorin likes Sakaki" Chihiro whispered.

"Of course she does. I like her too" Chiyo responded.

"No, as in…loves her" Chihiro whispered.

Chiyo stood there stunned for a minute.

"Uh…it must be your imagination. I don't think Kaorin-san likes Sakaki-san that much." Chiyo said

"Hmm…." Chihiro was lost in thought. "Maybe. I'd have to see Kaorin again to really know."

"Well, it was nice to see you again, Chihiro-chan." Chiyo said.

"Nice to see you again, too, Chiyo-chan." Chihiro said, and walked off.

As hard as Chiyo tried, for the rest of the day, she couldn't get out of her mind that Kaorin just might love Sakaki.

"Then…what about…Sakaki-san and Joe-san liking each other?" Chiyo wondered.

…

That night, Joe finally went on a date with Sakaki, going from a fancy diner, to a movie, to finally walking Sakaki home. He even watched Sakaki mess around with her keys before kissing her.

It was the most romantic moment in his life.

But then again, he hadn't really had anything that romantic before this.

Who would have known that watching Hitch would have helped so much? Joe thought, as he sighed happily.

Things were definitely looking up.

…

Author's Notes: Sorry to cut this chapter short, but one other minor character (specifically, Chiyo-chichi, or Chiyo's father) needs an appearance, and the only way I could think to put him in is in the next chapter.

This is also labeled the miscellaneous saga because of the stuff I thought of that really needed to get put down, but didn't seem to fit together into any one thing, so I labeled the Miscellaneous saga

Last note here, sorry it took me so long to release these chapters. School started up for me, as well as having "one more level" syndrome with Disgaea for the PS2.

One more level…

OK, one more level…

OK, OK, one more level…

Next Chapter: Teachers Tomo and Osaka


	18. Teachers Tomo and Osaka

Teachers Tomo and Osaka

Note: Neko-gami-sama, aka Lord Cat, from Pani Poni Dash makes a guest appearance in this chapter.

…

Yukari was once again pedaling her bike down the sidewalk. Once again, she was late for her first day of school.

Passing a few cars on her way to school, she was pedaling as fast as she could go.

Sakaki and Joe were walking along, talking to each other, when they both heard a "zoom!" go by, and felt the wind kick up.

"What was that?" Joe asked.

"Yukari-sensei" Sakaki responded in her cool voice. "She's always late for her own classes."

Joe sighed. "I'm not even the least bit surprised"

Sakaki and Joe continued to walk to their work, feeling happy just being with each other.

…

Yukari was running to her door.

…

Yuka-chan started counting.

"3…2…1…cue sensei" she said.

And right on cue came Yukari, slamming the door open.

"And I heard you counting, Yuka-chan!" Yukari yelled as she slammed the door shut behind her.

…

Tomo slammed the door open.

"Hello, class!!" Tomo said in her usual energetic way "You shall all refer to me as Tomo-sensei!!"

"Uh, sensei…" One person started.

"If you are about to make a wise-crack about me being flat, I'll toss you out of this room, and make you hold buckets of water." Tomo said, obviously mad.

"You're in the wrong class," the person said.

Tomo just laughed.

"Hahahaha!! I knew that! I was just testing you!" Tomo said, and laughed as she walked out of the classroom.

"Man, that was embarrassing. I went completely into the wrong classroom!" Tomo said. "I wonder who's class this is, anyway?"

"It's mine" Kimura said from behind her.

Tomo just slowly backed away, making sure to never turn her back on Kimura.

…

Osaka slowly walked into her classroom.

"Hello, class. My name is Kasuga-sensei" Osaka said.

"Sensei?" Miruchi said. "I talked to an old classmate of yours, and she called you Osaka."

"That was an old nickname I had back in high school. I don't really want to be called it that much anymore." Osaka said.

"All those for calling the teacher Osaka-sensei?" A person in the back said.

'I''s went around the room.

Osaka sighed.

Even after getting out of high school, the name Osaka still sticks. Even now, it's…bleh, Osaka thought.

…

Scene Change

…

"Man, oh man, that was a rough day" Tomo said, as she walked out to the vending machines.

She popped in her money, made her selection, the soda can popped out, and she grabbed it.

"It's luke warm!" Tomo complained.

The soda machine opened up.

"It's body temperature-nya" the cat inside the machine said.

"What are you doing here?" Another cat (Chiyo-chichi) came floating down from the sky, and landed on the ground.

"I'm giving away body temperature sodas, nya!" Lord Cat said, as he turned red.

"You know I hate Red!" Chiyo-chichi said.

"Those are fighting words, nya!" Lord Cat said.

At that moment, Lord Cat and Chiyo-chichi launched themselves at each other, and fought in a cloud of smoke.

Tomo was drooling on her desk. She was dreaming this entire fight scene between the two cats.

"Fighting…cats…" Tomo said in her sleep with a smile.

"Should someone wake her up?" One person in the back asked.

Moment of silence.

"Nah" everybody in the room said.

…

Tomo, Yukari, Osaka, and Nyamo all sat down for lunch in the employee lounge.

"Man, I hate the first day of school," Yukari complained.

"That's only because you are always late!" Nyamo said. Nyamo always seemed on edge these days, only because she had to deal with both Yukari and Tomo, now as co-workers.

"You know, it almost seems as if these kids are getting worse and worse as the years go on," Yukari said.

Nyamo just put her head on her desk, and sighed. Having to listen to Yukari complain for all these years was really taking it's toll.

Nyamo looked around to make sure that nobody was paying any attention to her, and slowly opened her bento.

…

Flashback to that morning

…

"You wanted me, Joe?" Nyamo asked. She was standing outside Joe's new house.

"Yes," Joe said, as he handed her a soda can.

"Is this…" Nyamo started

"Yes, this is one of my super sodas. I want you to try one sometime, and let me know how it works for you. Who knows, you may be able to get back at Yukari for all these years of torture." Joe said with a smile.

The thought of getting back at Yukari made Nyamo almost unconsciously put the soda can away in her bento.

…

Out of flashback

…

Nyamo smiled. She took the soda out of the bento, and put it away in one of her desk drawers.

She looked over at Yukari, who was asleep in her chair, with drool coming down her mouth, and a nose-bubble.

"Geez…" Nyamo said. She always hated the first day of school, too, but for a different reason. Yukari was always like this on the first day.

That's when Tomo, who was placed behind Yukari, next to Osaka, got an evil idea.

Very slowly, Tomo tilted Yukari's chair back.

As if almost on automatic pilot, Osaka, Kimura, and Nyamo left the employee lounge, stood outside the door, and closed it.

WHAM! They heard Yukari's chair hit the ground.

They then heard smashing as they could almost imagine the scene going on between Tomo and Yukari.

Nyamo opened the door, and Tomo came tumbling out, dizzy-eyed.

The three teachers that had gone outside now came back in. Yukari was sitting back in her chair.

"Damn Tomo, waking me up…"Yukari fumed.

…

Kimura was talking to his class about "the path you should take when considering careers".

"Guys, listen to this, this is hilarious," Tomo said to her students, and dashed out of her classroom, ran down to Kimura's (which was right next door), and slammed open the door.

"Kimura-san, why did you choose teaching as your career?!" Tomo yelled, loud enough for the other people to hear.

Moment of silence.

"I enjoy teaching students the life lessons that they will need to survive in the world," Kimura said quietly.

"No, no, no! Why do you really enjoy teaching?" Tomo asked.

"Because I find it funny when you walk into the wrong class" Kimura said.

His class laughed.

Tomo got angry, shut the door, and went back to her class.

"Kimura-sensei, why did she do that?" Michiru asked.

"Because she was trying to get me to admit" Kimura said.

"Admit what?" Michiru said.

"That I like high school girls and stuff" Kimura said in his creepy way.

All the girls in the room shivered. All the guys were even creeped out by the way Kimura said it.

…

The rest of the day went smoothly for everybody.

Well, almost…

"Hello, Miruchi" Kimura said, right behind Yuka-chan and Michiru in the school halls.

"I told you, my name is Michiru!" Michiru yelled.

"But everybody calls you Miruchi" Kimura said innocently.

"Look! A high school girl with big breasts!" Yuka-chan suddenly yelled.

As Kimura whipped around, Yuka-chan and Michiru made a mad dash for the outside world.

"Hey, there's no…" Kimura turned around to see that the both of them were gone.

Kimura sighed.

"I've got to stop falling for that trick," Kimura said, and he walked slowly out of the school building.

…

Author's notes: So, I received a review about how I spam your guys' e-mail when I send in all my chapters in one saga. Then again, when I do that, you guys will spam me back with reviews (which I seriously enjoy. Really, I do). So, in all reality, the spamming between writer and reviewer is actually pretty cool. (I wanted to say love-hate relationship, but I don't think you guys want a relationship with me ;) )

Next Chapter: Yukari drinks the secret soda.

You know that can't be good


	19. Yukari drinks the secret soda

Yukari drinks the secret soda

Note: Sorry, I guess keeping Chiyo and Joe out of the story for too long was a bit difficult.

…

Chiyo was running down the sidewalk. Now that Joe had moved out of her house, she felt the need to become a faster runner, faster than she ever had been in high school, and in college.

That's when Yukari, coming back from school, met up with her.

"Ah, Chiyo-chan" Yukari said.

"Hi, Yukari-sensei" Chiyo said, and stopped to catch her breath and to talk with Yukari.

"Listen, how would you and Joe like to come back to your high school, and talk about the adventures you had in America?" Yukari asked.

"Really? That would be awesome!" Chiyo said.

"Yes, that would. Well, I'll get it all arranged, then. Goodbye, Chiyo-chan" Yukari said, and rode away.

"I'd get to go back to my high school again? That would be awesome!" Chiyo said to herself, and sprinted off, filled with a new energy.

This is going to be perfect, Yukari thought as she rode on. If Chiyo and Joe come in and talk to the students, I don't have to teach. I could nap all day!

Just the thought of this made her peddle faster, just so she could set up the plans.

…

Two days later

…

Joe and Chiyo walked into Chiyo's old high school. Joe had luckily gotten the day off, and Chiyo, well, was still enjoying the relaxation time.

"And this is where we would put our outdoor shoes when we came in." Chiyo said

Joe was watching all of the people go by, and smiled to himself.

"Joe?" Chiyo asked.

"Sorry, Chiyo" Joe said, "I just love the fact that you guys have school uniforms. So much less distracting."

"Huh?" Chiyo asked.

"Nothing," Joe said

…

Joe and Chiyo walked into the classroom that was Yukari's. It was empty, with the exception of a note on the podium.

Joe read the note while Chiyo took a trip down memory lane of her classes.

"We moved everybody into the auditorium, so everybody could hear you guys talk all at once. Nyamo" Joe read on the note.

"Well, that's unexpected." Joe said.

Just then, someone else was standing in the doorway.

"Where is everybody?" Yukari asked. She looked peeved. "Don't tell me it's a weekend. That would have been the third time now."

"No, the meeting was moved to the auditorium, so that we get this all done in one shot." Joe said.

As Joe walked out, Joe whispered into Yukari's ear:

"Looks like you'll get to teach today, after all"

It took all of Yukari's willpower not to punch Joe in the face, and she followed.

Chiyo touched her old desk. A tear of happiness ran down her face, and she ran out of the classroom to catch up with Joe.

…

Down at the auditorium, Joe and Chiyo walked onto the stage. They had two speakers, one was down lower than the other, which irritated Chiyo.

"Boy, you come back to your high school, and you're irritated at them. Consider yourself lucky. I could become the richest man in the world, and my high school still wouldn't ask me back to speak to the students." Joe said.

"Really?! That's cold" Chiyo responded.

"So, don't worry about something like this. That simply means that they prepared for you." Joe said.

"You're an optimist, you know that?" Chiyo said.

"Only in certain situations, Chiyo-chan" Joe responded

Joe and Chiyo walked across the auditorium stage, where 4 years ago, Chiyo had gotten acknowledged for being the smartest kid in the high school.

All of the kids were sitting in seats. The teachers were sitting to the left (if you are looking down at the students), except for Yukari, who was sitting in the way back. She, apparently, didn't want to hear it.

"Hello, everybody!" Chiyo started "My name's Chiyo Mihama, and the person next to me is Joe-san" Joe bowed as he was introduced. "I would like to say, thank you all for letting us come here. It's been 4 long years since I last came to this high school, and I have to say, sometimes, I really miss it here."

Everybody, even Joe, was moved by Chiyo's introduction.

"So, why don't we start out with a few questions?" Chiyo said.

Michiru was the first to raise her hand.

"What was it like in America?"

"Well, it seemed like people were always in a hurry." Chiyo said. "And most of the places you want to go are not within walking distance. You usually have to drive."

"Then I need to go there sometime!" Yukari screamed from the back.

Everybody in the auditorium saw Joe and Chiyo shiver with fear.

"N-Next question" Chiyo managed to stutter out.

Yuka-chan was the next to raise her hand.

"Did you stay in an American home?"

This question brought up a question in Osaka's mind. She quickly raised her hand, and kept it there. Joe was the only one to notice.

"No, I stayed in a dorm room" Chiyo said, not realizing Osaka had raised her hand. "But the thing is, they called it a dorm room, and it is almost as big as our apartments!"

Woah's went around the auditorium.

"Next question" Chiyo said.

Joe poked Chiyo, and pointed over at Osaka, who still had her hand raised.

"Osaka-san?" Chiyo asked.

"This question is for Joe," Osaka said.

"OK, go ahead" Joe said. He was ready for anything Osaka threw his way.

"Um, in American houses…" Osaka said

"Yes?" Joe asked.

"You can walk around inside with your shoes on, right?" Osaka said.

Yukari flinched. She knew where this was going.

"Yes" Joe said.

"Then, what if you stepped in dog crap on the sidewalk, then you went back home without knowing it, and then the American dad and mom and the oldest son and the oldest daughter all stepped in dog crap, and what if they then went inside their house?" Osaka asked.

Everybody in the auditorium, except for Joe, was making the most disgusted faces.

"Well, obviously, the dog crap would then be all inside their house" Joe said without tact.

This made a lot of people in the auditorium sick to their stomachs.

"Which is why many people in America have become accustomed to looking down." Joe continued. "Always checking where they walk."

Oh's went around the auditorium. Some people even breathed a sigh of relief.

Chiyo looked at him sternly.

"That is so a lie!" Chiyo whispered.

"Yeah, I know, but at least this way they won't expect a whole lot from American people who are always checking the sidewalk for change." Joe said with a smile.

Another kid, somewhere in the center, raised his hand.

"Joe-san, what made you decide to come live in Japan?" he asked.

This made even Chiyo look over at Joe. She never knew why Joe moved to Japan in the first place either.

Joe closed his eyes. He looked very deep in thought for a moment. He then opened his eyes.

"I guess because I got tired of all the freedom's that America offers," Joe said.

"For example, you guys are all wearing school uniforms. In America, you don't have to. But this is bad, because then many of the American high school girls feel the need to show off their breasts to everybody…"

Joe was immediately interrupted as Kimura stood up.

"I WANT TO GO TO AMERICA!!" he shouted.

Every last girl in the auditorium shivered.

"…But that also means they have full right to slap perverts." Joe said, with one eye on Kimura.

Kimura sat back down.

"Well, what a gyp" Kimura said. Nyamo, Tomo, and Osaka all sweat-dropped.

"Also, you are not required to participate in gym class. This is why many American kids have become obese." Joe continued.

Oh's went around the auditorium.

Boring, Yukari thought to herself as she yawned. At this rate, I'll fall asleep, and then I'll get an earful from the principal. But…

Yukari grinned as she reached into her purse.

"Good thing I stole this soda from Nyamo's desk before I came here." Yukari said to herself.

"OK, next question" Chiyo said.

Yukari opened the soda, and it let out the tiniest "ssst", which not even the people next to her could hear.

Joe did.

Joe quickly grabbed Chiyo's shoulder and pulled her back.

"Somebody opened up a can of my super soda," he whispered in a panicked state.

"Just look around and find out who" Chiyo said.

They both turned back, and first looked over at Tomo, Osaka, and Nyamo, since they would be the most likely to know about it.

They didn't have it. Both Joe and Chiyo's eyes scanned the room, and both sets of eyes locked on to Yukari, all the way in the back, as she finished off the can.

Joe and Chiyo swallowed hard. The last person on the planet they wanted to drink the soda was Yukari.

"Did I miss something? Is it over already?" Yukari asked, as she stood up and walked over to Nyamo.

Everybody's eyes were now locked on to Yukari, though the students weren't quite sure why they were supposed to be watching her.

"Where in the world did you get that soda?" Nyamo asked.

"Oh, I took it out of your desk this morning" Yukari said, as if it was nothing.

Nyamo now realized why Joe and Chiyo had that panicked, frightened look on their face.

Yukari then covered her mouth. It almost looked like she was trying to keep from puking.

Osaka, Tomo, and Nyamo all took a step back, as Yukari opened her mouth, and let out…

"BURP!!" Yukari burped so hard, she fell backward.

"Gross!" Tomo said

"The smell…is awful" Osaka said, waving her hand in front of her face.

"Are you alright, Yukari?" Nyamo asked.

Yukari stood up almost instantaneously.

"IfeelfineNyamowhydoyouask?" Yukari said.

"Huh?" Tomo, Osaka, and Nyamo all said at once.

"IsaidIfeelfinealthoughIwonderwhatkindofsodaIjustdrank" Yukari said.

Joe and Chiyo jumped down off of the stage, and walked over to Yukari.

"I can't understand a word she's saying" Nyamo said.

"WhatdoyoumeanyoucantunderstandawordImsaying?" Yukari asked.

"I think I almost picked up what she's saying" Joe said. "Yukari, say 'Oh my god I'm on fire'" Joe said the 'oh my god I'm on fire' in English.

Yukari said, in English: "Ohmygodimonfire"

"Yeah, thought so" Joe said. "Her speech is just really fast."

"Ohisthatall?" Yukari said "WellIbetIcouldgotothebarandaskforeverythingoffthemenuwithinwithinfiveminutes. LetsgoNyamoyourepaying!"

And with that, Yukari walked right out the door of the auditorium. Nyamo heard her burp again.

Joe whipped out his notebook from his back pocket, and began to write in it.

"Well, that was boring." Joe said.

"What do you mean?" Chiyo asked.

"Everybody else who drank the soda had something amazing happen to them. Yukari, just a fast speech." Joe said.

Yukari came walking back.

"Back so soon, Yuk…" Nyamo stopped, and now felt fear.

Yukari had an angry face. One of pure malice.

"Now…I'm pissed off…" Yukari said. "AND I DON'T KNOW WHY!!"

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! YUKARI-SENSEI'S SNAPPED!" Chiyo yelled.

What ensued next was total chaos. Every last one of the students ran for the closest exit that wasn't by Yukari. Within five minutes, all that was left was Osaka, Tomo, Nyamo, Chiyo and Joe.

"I think I'll just leave" Osaka said. Even she knew that Yukari in a bad mood wasn't a good thing.

"I'll join you" Tomo said, and she and Osaka zoomed out of the auditorium.

"Yukari, just calm down," Nyamo tried reasoning with Yukari.

"I can't." Yukari said. "I'm extremely mad…AT ABSOULTLY NOTHING!!"

And with that, Yukari knocked out Nyamo by knocking her against the wall.

"Chiyo, I think we should run!" Joe said.

Joe and Chiyo started running through the center of the auditorium.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!!" They both heard Yukari yell.

Joe looked back to see a chair flying through the air.

"Chiyo, look out!" Joe yelled as he pushed Chiyo out of the way.

The chair came down, and knocked some of the other chairs down.

"Chiyo, to the back exit!" Joe yelled, and they both started running in that direction.

A chair came flying down, and knocked a few more chairs down in front of their path. They both stopped.

"I didn't realize Yukari-sensei had this much strength in her," Chiyo said.

"It must be the soda," Joe said.

Yukari now had two chairs, one in each hand. She tossed the both of them.

"Go, now!" Joe yelled, and he and Chiyo ran toward the door. The two chairs hit floor with a "CLANG!" behind them.

Just as Joe and Chiyo were about to reach the door, 10 chairs came flying out of nowhere, and blocked off the back door.

Joe and Chiyo turned around. Yukari was now standing there, looking more peeved than ever. Joe and Chiyo were now backed against the wall, with Yukari closing in.

Tears were river-ing down Chiyo's face.

"I don't want to die!" Chiyo said.

Joe got into a defensive stance.

"Chiyo, just defend yourself!" Joe said. He was more determined than ever to get out of this mess.

"Oh, right!" Chiyo said. She stopped her river of tears, and got into her defensive stance too.

Yukari took one step forward.

Joe charged forward, and threw a punch with his right hand.

Yukari stopped Joe's punch with her left hand a few inches from her face. Before Joe could react, Yukari's right fist came flying up and hit Joe square in the chin. He was now slightly airborne.

Yukari now pulled Joe back with the fist she still had in her hand. With his body now being pulled back, Yukari wheeled up and threw another punch straight into his face.

In order to throw the punch, Yukari had to let go of Joe's hand. Joe went flying against the wall, his whole body hit the wall hard, and he fell to the floor, still conscious, but unable to move due to the pain in his whole back body.

Chiyo stood there, now shaking. If Yukari knocked Joe down so easily, what was preventing her from doing it to Chiyo?

Then, just as quickly as it had happened, Yukari burped, and fell to the floor, unconscious.

Chiyo stood there, taking in all that just happened. She then backed up against the wall, trying to slow her racing heartbeat down.

About this time, Nyamo stood up, rubbing her head.

"Ow" Nyamo said. She looked up at all the carnage.

"Joe-san! Chiyo-chan!" She yelled, as she ran over to the two. "Are you OK?"

"I'll live" Joe said from the floor. His whole body still hurt too much to move.

"I'm fine, just a little freaked out," Chiyo said, still trying to calm herself down.

Nyamo sighed, as she looked at the fallen Yukari.

"How am I going to explain this to the principal so she doesn't get fired?" Nyamo asked.

"I would say 'an allergic reaction to a soda she stole from you'" Joe said, as he slowly started getting up. It was obvious he was still in pain.

Chiyo helped Joe to stand up. Joe put his left hand on his right arm. When Yukari pulled him back, he felt his right arm pull slightly. He'd have to be careful, or he could tear a muscle in his right arm.

Yukari groaned. Nyamo and Joe jumped back. Chiyo was now on the verge of a heart attack.

Yukari then stood up. She looked around, even looking back at the carnage inflicted.

"Oh, my, what a disaster I've created." And with that, Yukari ran around, straightening every last piece of carnage.

"Somebody want to tell me what's going on?" Nyamo asked.

"I haven't got the slightest clue," Joe said.

"Me, neither." Chiyo said.

Yukari now stopped right where she had started, except now the auditorium looked like absolutely nothing had happened.

"Oh, and Nyamo, here's the 10,000 yen I owe you" Yukari said, and handed Nyamo a 10,000 yen bill.

Nyamo just held it there, stunned. Never had Yukari paid her back. Like seriously, never.

"Um…Yukari-san, are you feeling OK?" Nyamo asked.

"I feel fine. In fact, this is the best I've felt in my entire life. In fact…" she walked up and hugged Nyamo "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you throughout the years"

Joe and Chiyo both stood there. The background was nothing but floating question marks, and the both of them looked utterly confused.

Yukari let go of Nyamo, and turned toward Chiyo.

"Chiyo, I've never said it, but I'm proud of where you have gone in life," Yukari said with a smile. Her voice was soothing, and kind.

She then turned toward Joe, and opened her mouth.

She let out a huge burp, another one that knocked her to the floor.

"Thanks, Yukari" Joe said sarcastically, as he waved the smell away with his left hand. His right arm still hung limp by his side.

Yukari then stood up. But her stance was straighter. Like that of a person who's been in the army.

"My god. I've got to get class started. I don't have time to be waiting around here. Goodbye everybody." and with that, Yukari ran off.

Nyamo, Chiyo, and Joe stood there, dumbfounded at what had just happened. Then,

"The burps!" Chiyo and Joe said together

"Huh?" Nyamo asked.

"The burps are what makes Yukari change like that," Chiyo said.

"The good news is, according to my calculations, "Joe said, looking at his watch "the effects of the soda should only last her about another 3 minutes"

"Then what?" Nyamo asked.

"You should watch her," Joe said. "She'll return to normal Yukari, but she could possibly suffer from side effects."

"Side effects?" Nyamo asked nervously.

"Nothing serious. Stuff along the lines of a headache" Joe said reassuringly.

"Ok, so why should I watch her then?" Nyamo asked.

"So I can write down in my notebook any of the side effects she gets. Both Chiyo and I need to go to the nurse's office, and have ourselves checked out." Joe said. "Plus, you need to be there in case anything more than a headache occurs."

"Right" Nyamo said, and followed Yukari.

…

Yukari went to her class, where everybody was (surprisingly) sitting down, studying their books. They all looked up and got nervous.

"OK, slaking off is a thing of the past. Now, we are going to study and study hard!" Yukari said.

"HUH?" the entire class went.

"Yes, I realize now that my naps and the like are taking away from your learning experience" Yukari said. She almost sounded like a motivational speaker. "But from now on, I…"

Three minutes past.

Yukari burped again, but this one was softer, and didn't have anywhere near as much force as the other one's did.

"Need to sleep" Yukari said, and with that, fell to the floor. The entire class saw the gigantic nose bubble she had, moving in and out, indicating that she was sleeping.

Nyamo stood outside the doorway, and peeked in. She saw Yukari sleeping on the floor.

"Looks like she fell asleep, and a deep one at that that" Nyamo said on her cell phone.

"Thanks, Nyamo, you can go back to your class now, thanks for all your help" Joe said on the other side.

Nyamo closed up her cell phone, put it in her pocket, and sighed. It was amazing that Yukari was able to get away with this. The principal almost seemed to accept that this was the way Yukari was. And as long as her teaching was producing results, he wouldn't ask any questions.

…

Joe and Chiyo left the nurse's office, and sighed.

"Sorry this didn't turn out that well," Chiyo said.

"What are you talking about?" Joe said, "This day was awesome. I got to see what a Japanese school is like, and the best part was I got to actually talk to a few people. The whole Yukari thing was just a bump in the road."

Chiyo smiled. If the Yukari thing was not going to ruin Joe's day, it wouldn't ruin her day either.

As Joe and Chiyo left the grounds, they both turned back and looked at the school. They both bowed, and left for home.

…

Author's notes: Finally, I made up for the two short chapters beforehand.

Oh, and I am planning on having all the Azu-girls drink the soda sometime, even thinking up different effects for all of them. You'll just have to keep reading and find out what!

And as a forenote, I have also updated my profile to include what Joe writes in his notepad when people drink the secret soda.

Next Chapter: Joe and Chiyo's rivalry hits high!

PS: The next chapter is going to have a huge action sequence. Hope you can keep up!


	20. Joe and Chiyo's rivalry hits high!

Joe and Chiyo's rivalry hits high!

…

It was now the weekend, and Chiyo was walking toward Joe's house. He had called her up that morning to ask her to come over to his house.

Chiyo walked up to the address, and saw Sakaki standing there.

"Ah, Sakaki-san!" Chiyo said, but Sakaki seemed to be off in her own world.

"Chiyo-chan, do you recognize this house?" Sakaki asked in her usual tone.

Chiyo looked.

"Yes, I do!" Chiyo exclaimed. "This is the house that you said that one cat lived at!"

Sakaki nodded.

"Anyway, what are you doing here?" Chiyo asked.

"Joe called me up, and asked me come over. Yomi, Tomo, and Osaka are already inside." Sakaki said. Kaorin was also inside, but Sakaki had never seen her go in (and Kaorin didn't know Sakaki was there yet, or she would have been outside with her)

"What about Kagura?" Chiyo asked

"I don't know. She hasn't come yet," Sakaki said.

As Chiyo and Sakaki went inside, a cat with bear-trap like teeth looked down on them. Anger welled up inside this cat. He was angry that any person would move into his house.

Chiyo, Sakaki, Tomo, Yomi, Kaorin, and Osaka were all gathered in Joe's house.

"Sorry, guys. Kagura's not coming. She said she's meeting her boyfriend at the airport today." Joe said. He was wearing a jacket, which was suprising to everybody, since it was still a good 70 degrees outside.

"Oh, good. We may actually get a chance to meet her boyfriend." Yomi said

"I get first shot at swiping him!' Tomo declared.

"Hey, if you have a boy who is a friend, are they considered boyfriends?" Osaka asked.

Joe ignored Osaka and Tomo, and moved on.

"The reason I called you guys here is I want you to bear witness to Chiyo and I, playing this video game against each other to break up our tiebreaker" Joe said, as he pointed to a game system, that had two helmets by it.

"What on earth is that?" Yomi asked.

"That is the latest technology. It is a helmet with a small monitor installed in it. Basically, it's like a 3D helmet, that puts you in the game." Joe said as he picked up a helmet "And the first game I had programmed for it is..."

"Let me guess" Chiyo said with a smile "Naruto"

"Bingo" Joe said

"I accept your challenge, but first, I need a few practice rounds with it." Chiyo said

"Fair enough" Joe said, he turned on the system and handed the helmet to Chiyo.

Chiyo took the helmet, but stood there staring at Joe.

"What?" Joe asked

"I would like to practice strategies without you watching." Chiyo said

"Gotcha, I'll go outside." Joe said. "Sakaki, could you come with me?"

Kaorin gasped.

Sakaki went outside with Joe, as Kaorin crept up to watch them out Joe's window.

Joe and Sakaki sat down on Joe's front step.

"Sakaki-san, I got you a present," Joe said.

He pulled out a box from one of his pockets on his jacket.

"A Nintendo DS? Thanks" Sakaki said in her uncaring voice.

"Open it up, I already did" Joe said.

Sakaki opened it up, pulled the DS out, and gasped. She also blushed.

It was a Pink Nintendo DS, but it was completly covered in cute kitten stickers. Sakaki opened it up to find even more cute kitten stickers. And on the back was one big Necoconeco sticker.

"I even got you a game for it" Joe said, as he pulled out another box labeled "Cats" for the Nintendo DS from his other pocket.

Sakaki took the game, and looked at it. She even read the back, fully interested. She smiled, while the blushing was still there.

"Thank you" Sakaki said, and she leaned over. Joe met her halfway, and they kissed.

Kaorin wanted to scream, but nothing was coming out.

"Hey, Joe-san, Chiyo-chan's ready for you" Yomi said

Joe and Sakaki came inside. Joe walked over to the gaming system, and took his jacket off. Sakaki found the nearest chair, and started playing her new game.

Within seconds, Neko-san came racing up, and jumped right up on Sakaki's lap. He then curled up and fell asleep.

"Neko-san has been missing you, Sakaki-san" Joe said, as Sakaki had that blissful happy look on her face.

Kaorin broke an unbreakable comb in her hand out of pure hatred.

"Oh, and by the way, guys, I have it hooked up to this TV so you can get something of an overhead view of what's going on" Joe said to everybody behind him.

Joe and Chiyo put their helmets on, as Tomo, Yomi, Osaka, and Kaorin watched the TV.

"Please select your character," the game said.

"I only know one character, so I'll pick Naruto." Chiyo said

"I'll pick Hatake Kakashi " Joe said.

"That's not your best character" Chiyo said.

"My best character is overbalanced. This is my second best," Joe said

…

The layout of the battlefield was a big open field in the shape of a circle, with forest surrounding the circle.

Joe and Chiyo were now in the game. But one thing bothered Chiyo. She looked down at her hands.

"Woah, these are my hands!" Chiyo exclaimed. She looked up at Joe. Joe looked exactly like he did in real life, with the exception of a black headband, which covered one of Joe's eyes.

"That's the beauty of multi-player" Joe said. "The helmet reads exactly what you look like in real life, and puts you in the game with the characters abilities"

"Cool!" Chiyo said. She threw a few punches into the air. She was moving faster than she ever could in real life.

"This is..." Chiyo started, but never finished. Joe had already moved right up on her, and elbowed her in the face, sending her flying into the forest.

"Sorry, Chiyo-chan, but this is a video game, so I don't feel bad about throwing sucker punches" Joe said.

"Ouch, that's evil" Yomi said.

"Makes me so proud," Tomo said, as she wiped away a tear

Chiyo slowly walked out of the forest, wiping away the trickle of blood that came from her mouth.

"I gotta say, Joe-san, that was cheap," Chiyo said.

"Yeah, I know" Joe said with a grin.

"So, let's get this game started then," Chiyo said

Joe got into his defensive stance.

"Although I haven't read as much Naruto manga as you have, or watched as many episodes as you have, I did happen to read and watch a few Naruto things..." Chiyo said.

(Start 'raising fighting spirit' here)

"And the few things that I did manage to get about Naruto" Chiyo said "Will help me out here!" as she pointed to the sky.

Joe looked up, and saw at least 100 Chiyo's flying at him.

"Coming right at you, Joe-san!" One of the Chiyo's said "The Naruto specialty, tajyuu kage bunshin no jutsu!"

Osaka had a goofy grin on her face. Her eyes were half closed, and drool was coming out of the corner of her mouth as she stared at the TV screen.

"Lots of chiyo-chan's..." she said

Joe jumped back as one Chiyo hit the ground where he had just been standing. Joe then noticed that a bunch of Chiyo's had also come at him from the forest as well, totaling the Chiyo's to well over 200.

He then saw a little bit of movement almost from behind him. He jumped into the air while still flying backward, just as more Chiyo's jumped at him, bringing the total to well over 300.

Amazing, only a few minutes, and she had a few shadow clones jump into the forest behind me, Joe thought.

(End "raising fighting spirit" here)

Joe quickly revealed the one Sharingon eye. He then landed, jumped back again, and formed the proper seals.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" Joe said, and let out a huge fireball from his mouth.

A few of the Chiyo's got caught up in the fireball, and disappeared with a "Poof!" but many of them were able to dodge it easily.

The Chiyo's then looked back to see that Joe was not there.

"What?" one of them went, and as all of the Chiyo's landed, they looked around, and he was nowhere to be seen.

Then two Chiyo's, who were standing close enough together, were grabbed by the ankle.

"Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu!" Joe said, as he pulled the two Chiyo's down so that only their heads were showing, and they both disappeared with a "Poof!"

Joe then started running through the woods, and then jumped up into the trees.

He heard the Chiyo's all coming after him.

C'mon, where is it? Joe thought.

After running through the woods for about 30 seconds at top speed, he came across another field, but this one had a river running through it.

There it is, he thought with a smile.

He ran out, stopped himself on the water, whipped his body around, and formed some more seals

"Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" Joe said, as the water formed a dragon, and came crashing into the woods.

All of the Chiyo's that had been following Joe now "Poof"ed away, leaving only one. The real Chiyo was now flying through the water, and being whirled around.

She'll be ready to attack again soon, so I better be prepared, Joe thought.

Chiyo stood up, coughing. She had been completely drenched by Joe's attack. All of her shadow clones had been wiped out.

"OK, time to get serious" Chiyo said, as she formed a few more shadow clones.

Joe stood on the water, charging up a Chidori.

Out in the woods, he saw two Chiyo's, charging up a Rasengan. The clone then grabbed Chiyo and started swinging her around.

I've seen that before, Joe said, thinking back to the Naruto anime. So I know how to defeat it.

The clone let go, and poofed away. Chiyo was now flying at Joe. Joe launched himself at Chiyo, with the Chidori still in his hand.

Chiyo started the wide swing that the Rasengan needed

Now! Joe thought.

He ran chakra through his legs, and pushed himself, so he gained an extra boost of speed that Chiyo never saw coming.

Joe watched as the Chidori went straight through Chiyo's body. He also watched in shock as the Chiyo went "Poof!"

Joe saw a shadow, and looked up to see two Chiyo's flying down at him. He had no time to dodge at all.

"Ôdama Rasengan!" Both Chiyo's screamed, as the attack hit.

There was a huge explosion as the attack hit Joe, then Joe exploded in a flash of water.

The clone Chiyo poofed away, as the other Chiyo stood there, dumbfounded at what had just happened.

Then Joe jumped out of the water, forming seals as he went.

"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" he yelled, and a huge torrential whirlpool of water hit Chiyo square on.

Chiyo was now back in the forest, grasping for air. Not only had she been hit by the water attack head on, but she had been using chakra like crazy.

I knew was a good idea to have that water clone do Chidori as an initial attack, Joe thought, as he was also gasping.

He covered up the Sharingan.

But I've used up chakra far too fast, and the fact that Kakashi tires easily doesn't make my job any easier, he thought.

Chiyo came gasping out of the forest. She was obviously worn out.

Despite both of this, both of them were wearing a smile.

"Unbelievable. I made this game, and yet you are fighting me in an even match." Joe said.

Chiyo just continued to smile. Joe uncovered the Sharingan once again.

Another Chiyo came out of the forest, and started powering up a Rasengan in her hand.

Joe also started charging up a Chidori.

Then he heard a splash behind him, as another shadow clone popped out from the river and grabbed him from behind, making him drop the Chidori.

The two Chiyo's that were charging up a Rasengan started running at Joe.

If that hits me, game over, Joe thought.

Joe tried struggling against the Chiyo that had him, but to no avail.

"Ôdama Rasengan" Both Chiyo's screamed again, and this time it hit square on.

Game over was displayed now on both helmets

…

"This game's winner is…Chiyo-chan!" the game announced.

"Unbelievable" Joe said as he took off his helmet. "I lost in my own game."

"Well, you didn't play as your best, although you did very well, "Chiyo said, as she also took off her helmet.

"That was an amazing match all the way to the end," Yomi said.

Tomo then quickly knocked over Chiyo, and grabbed the helmet.

"Joe-san, I challenge you, with your best character!" she yelled

"Tomo, you can't win" Yomi said, "You haven't even practiced."

"I don't need practice, I can beat him anytime!" Tomo declared.

"Fine, then." Joe said, as he put the helmet back on.

Chiyo walked up next to Yomi.

"Does Tomo even know anything about Naruto?" Chiyo asked.

Before Yomi could respond, Tomo answered

"Nah, but I watched you play" Tomo said. "So, I should have the upper hand"

"She's dead" Yomi said.

"Pick your characters," the game said.

"Naruto" Tomo said.

"Uchiha Itachi" Joe said.

"What kind of name is Itachi?" Tomo asked, as the game loaded the battlefield.

It was the exact same battlefield as Joe and Chiyo had faced off against each other.

Tomo immediately summoned a whole bunch of shadow clones.

…

A shiver traveled from Yomi's feet all the way up her body.

"A million Tomo's" Yomi said. "Now I'm gonna have nightmares"

"I know what you mean," Chiyo said.

…

"What's the matter? I've obviously got you beat! Hahahahahahaha!" Tomo laughed.

Joe just stood there. He kept his lock on the one Tomo that had summoned all the shadow clones in the first place.

"Hahahaha!" All of the Tomo's laughed simultaneously.

Tomo then made the biggest mistake of her game life.

She looked into his eyes.

"Mangekyo Sharingan!" Joe said.

Both Tomo and Joe were now standing in a completely white space.

"Well, Tomo, you will spend the next 72 hours of your life here, alone, all by yourself, with no one to irritate. Have fun" Joe said, and simply faded away.

(All of these next lines are Tomo's)

"Hahaha! Very funny Joe! There's no way I'm alone, because your still here!"

No response

"You can't fool me forever! You moron!"

Still nothing.

"Ah, Joe-san? This isn't funny!"

"I'm all alone…for the next…How long did he say?"

Tomo looked at her watch, as it went from "72:00:00" to "71:59:59"

"Only one second…went by…"

"Hey, Yomi, you're fat!"

…

Yomi was ready to kill Tomo, but Chiyo held her back with one stiff arm.

"She's suffering in an alternate dimension. As soon as she realizes that she's really alone, she'll have a mental breakdown" Chiyo said, smiling evilly at this last part.

…

"Yomi…didn't…kill me…"

"Which means…I am totally alone…with no one…to irritate…at all…"

Tomo then began to panic, and let out a scream on the game.

"Game over" both helmets said.

…

Tomo whipped her helmet off, went against the far back wall, and curled up in a ball there. She was shaking, and it also sounded like she was crying.

Joe slowly took off his helmet. He had a "she got what she deserved" look on his face.

"Tomo?" Yomi went over. Tomo would have never run up against an opposite wall like that.

"Yomi…I was…all alone…" Tomo had tears running down her face. Her eyes had the look of pure fear in them.

Tomo latched on to Yomi, and started crying into her shoulder.

"I don't ever want to play that game again!" Tomo said, sobbing louder.

For the first time in her entire life, Yomi actually felt sorry for Tomo completely.

Yomi started stroking the back of Tomo's head, trying to calm her down.

"It's OK, Tomo, it was just a game," Yomi said in a soothing voice.

"Make sure to record this date down," Chiyo said to Osaka "Yomi actually helped Tomo calm down"

Osaka nodded in agreement.

Tomo started sounding like she was getting better. Then everybody heard her blow her nose, right on Yomi's shirt.

"Thanks, Yomi. I feel better now," Tomo said in her usual Tomo way.

"YOU IDIOT! I HELP YOU, AND THIS IS HOW YOU THANK ME?!" Yomi screamed, now stretching Tomo's face.

Joe and Chiyo sighed. Typical, they both thought.

Joe's phone rang. Joe picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Joe-san, I'll be over at your house soon with my boyfriend." Kagura said from the other side.

"That's great! We'll meet you outside." Joe said, and he hung up.

"Kagura's going to be here with her boyfriend!" Joe said.

Everybody went running outside to meet Kagura's boyfriend.

Except for Sakaki, who still sat in the chair, playing "Cats" on her DS, with Neko-san curled up in her lap.

The cat in the game let out a meow.

This is blissful, Sakaki thought.

…

Author's notes: Many thanks to for supplying me with the names of some of the attacks I could use.

Please don't flame me for (over) using Naruto. Seriously, I just put stuff in a game.

Also, I don't know if water clones can use Ninjutsu like the real counterparts can, but oh well. That entire sequence was made for action, not accuracy.

And a second long chapter makes up for the two short ones at the start.

teh yays! (Purposefully spelled wrong)

Next Chapter: Finally! Kagura's boyfriend


	21. Finally!  Kagura's boyfriend

Finally! Kagura's boyfriend

Note: All dialogue in **Bold** is spoken in English. Any other dialogue is translated from Japanese.

…

Joe, Chiyo, Tomo, Osaka, Yomi, and Kaorin all went outside and waited outside the property's wall.

"I wonder what her boyfriend is like," Yomi said.

"Well, he's German, so a typical German likes beer and bratwurst," Joe said.

"But that's a stereotype, and he might not like beer or bratwurst at all," Chiyo said

"Higher volume, with more digital bass boost. That could be a stereo type," Osaka said.

"What in the world…?" Yomi asked.

"I believe that thought to be otherworldly, Yomi-san," Joe said.

Joe's stomach let off a nasty growl.

"Hehe…guess it must be time for lunch," Joe said.

At that precise moment, a car pulled up. Kagura got out of the passenger side.

"Hey, everybody!" Kagura said. "Allow me to introduce my boyfriend, Heiko-san."

Heiko got out of the drivers side of the car. Kagura spoke something to him in German.

"**Hello, everybody"** Heiko said.

Joe managed to say "hello" in German.

"You speak German?" Chiyo asked.

"hehe…Actually, the only thing I know is 'hello'" Joe said, rubbing the back of his head with one hand in embarrassment.

At that moment, Sakaki came walking out, and Heiko got closer to everybody. If Joe were to describe Heiko: he was very muscular, and tall. Very tall. Both Joe and Sakaki had to look up to talk to Heiko. He had brown, brushed down hair, and wore a sleeveless shirt and shorts to show off his muscles.

Kagura started saying things in German. Everyone guessed that she was introducing everybody to Heiko, by the fact that they caught their names in the conversation.

Tomo was first.

"**I heard about you,"** Heiko said, with slit eyes.

"**Kagura say…good things…about…Tomo?"** Tomo said. She obviously hadn't practiced her English in a while.

Heiko said something in German that Joe, Yomi, and Chiyo all guessed to be something along the lines of 'idiot', because Kagura nodded her head.

Next came Osaka.

"A German, an American, and a Frenchman all in Japan. Hehe" Osaka said.

"What is she talking about?" Yomi said.

"German being Heiko-san, American being me, and Frenchman being Tadaichi-san" Joe said.

Heiko spoke more German. Kagura shrugged her shoulders as she spoke more German.

Next it came to Yomi.

"**I have heard about you. You are smart, grown up one"** Heiko said.

This made Yomi swell with pride.

"**I also told you are concerned with weight**" Heiko said.

This made Yomi feel like she had just been slugged in the face.

"I like this guy already," Tomo said with a smile.

Next was Chiyo.

"**Ah, you are child genius who was in high school. Almost outdid Kagura with your grades!"** Heiko said.

Everybody glared at Kagura, who rubbed the back of her head with one hand, and laughed nerviously.

"Last I checked, you had the lowest grades in high school, Kagura-san" Yomi said in a very serious tone.

"Ah, minor detail I forgot to tell him," Kagura said nervously.

On to Kaorin.

"**Hm? Ah, yes, you were one who always seemed to be after one called Sa…Sa…"**Heiko said, unsure of who he was supposed to say.

"**Sakaki"** Kagura said.

"**Sakaki!" **Heiko said

This made Kaorin's face turn totally red in embarrassment. Kagura had actually noticed that she was chasing Sakaki?

"**Ah, you are the strong, silent type, yes?**" Heiko said to Sakaki.

Sakaki blushed slightly, and looked away.

"**Those strong silent types are the best kind there is,**" Joe said, which made Sakaki feel better.

"**Ah, you are American. Kagura told me you are good fighter!"** Heiko said, as Kagura came to introducing Joe.

"**Well, not that good a fighter,"** Joe said.

"**Nonsense! Kagura told me you are excellent fighter! I must test this for myself!"** Heiko said, and without warning, wound his fist back, and threw it forward.

Joe just barely managed to catch Heiko's one fist with his two hands. Heiko's hands were gigantic in comparison to Joe's. Even though Joe caught the fist, he still took enough of a blow to lose his breath.

Then something happened. Joe's felt a pain in his stomach, which had been caused by his empty stomach, coupled with Heiko's punch.

"**Not bad! Now for attack number two!"** Heiko said, as he raised his hand to do a karate chop.

That's when Joe wrapped his arms around his stomach, fell to his knees, and curled up. Joe was gritting his teeth.

"Joe-san? Are you OK?" Chiyo asked.

"**Run…the evil…will be escaping…soon**" Joe said, gasping out. He was breathing hard.

"Huh?!" Chiyo said

"**RUN!!"** Joe yelled.

Tomo, Yomi, Osaka, Kagura, and Kaorin all went running. Chiyo, Sakaki, and Heiko were standing there.

"Joe, what do you mean by 'the evil will be escaping soon'?" Chiyo asked.

"I'll be fine. Just run!" Joe said. The pain in his stomach was worsening.

Chiyo and Sakaki starting backing up, before turning around and running.

Heiko still stood there.

"**I believe you are bluffing! I call bluff!"** Heiko said.

"**I'm not bluffing, Heiko! You must run quickly, before…**" Joe said, and stopped instantly. His pupils went small.

"**Before what?"** Heiko said.

Too late, Joe thought.

…

Chiyo and Sakaki finally caught up with the rest of the group, who had only run about three blocks away.

"Chiyo-chan?! When did you run as fast as Sakaki-san?" Yomi asked.

"I've…been…running…on my…spare time" Chiyo said between breaths. She was wearing a smile.

"What do you suppose he meant by 'the evil'?" Tomo asked.

"I don't know, but he looked dead serious when he said it." Yomi said.

"What is Heiko doing?!" Kagura asked. "He should have come running with the rest of us!"

All of the Azu-girls suddenly heard a "Boom!"

"What was that?" Kaorin asked.

"It came from…where Heiko and Joe-san are…" Kagura said, obviously worried about her boyfriend.

A small shockwave of air came flying by the Azu-girls, followed by…

"OH. MY. GOD. What the hell is that smell?" Tomo asked, as she covered her nose and mouth with her hands.

All of the Azu-girls also covered their nose and mouth with their hands, also because they smelled that awful smell as well.

Except Kagura, who began to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Yomi asked. "And why doesn't this smell bother you?"

"That's the evil that Joe wanted us to run from. He just had gas!" Kagura said, and laughed.

"Gas?" Everybody else asked.

"You know. He had to fart." Kagura said.

"My god, how can it smell this bad?" Yomi asked.

"Reminds me of the rotten meat I forgot about in my fridge" Osaka said.

"This is nothing. You should smell the beer and bratwurst farts that Heiko gets. Now those are nasty." Kagura said.

"I don't want to smell anything that's worse than this," Chiyo said.

…

Heiko had been knocked back by the sheer force that Joe had farted, but now Heiko stood back up, and he was laughing a hardy German laugh.

"**So, this was evil? I know say I sorry for accusing you of bluff. I know farts can give bad stomach pains**" Heiko said.

"**You're not bothered by this?"** Joe asked. He stood up, and his stomach cramps were gone.

"**Nothing is bad as beer and bratwurst farts!**" Heiko said.

Joe just laughed.

…

After the wind carried the smell away, the Azu-girls returned to where they had been standing.

"Where did that much…power come from?" Chiyo asked.

"hehe…Unlike most guys, I rarely ever fart." Joe said. "When I do though, you better watch out. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go eat something before something else happens"

And with that, Joe walked into his house.

"So, you guys want to go anywhere?" Kagura asked.

"Let's do some more shopping!" Tomo yelled as she threw a fist into the air.

Kagura asked Heiko if that was all right in German.

Heiko replied back.

"Heiko says that's fine" Kagura said.

"All right! More shopping!" Tomo yelled, as they all got into Kagura's vehicle (with Heiko driving) and went down to the mall.

…

Kamineko lay curled up on the tree branch. His tail twitched, and he growled. He was going to get that person back. That was his house, and only his.

…

Author's Notes: Many thanks to Wikipedia for supplying me with a German name that competed in the summer Olympics. Heiko is a real German that competed in the summer Olympics, but I supplied the personality and look for him. I have no idea what he's like in real life. XP

Next Chapter: Kaorin gets even!


	22. Kaorin gets even

Kaorin gets even

Note: This chapter is rated "M" for sexual references (just references, not actions), as well as some censored cussing

…

Kaorin ran as fast as she could. Joe had been standing outside the building once again, waiting for Sakaki so they could go out on a date (again). They had been going on dates almost every day now. Kaorin just couldn't take it anymore. This time, she was going to get even.

She ran up to a door, and pounded on it.

"Kaorin-san?" Tomo asked. Obviously, Kaorin wasn't thinking clearly.

"I need your help. I want to get even with Joe for taking Sakaki-san out on dates." Kaorin said.

Tomo turned around so Kaorin couldn't see the ridiculously huge evil grin that she had gotten.

A chance to get even with Joe?! Dreams do come true! Tomo thought. Even though she had gotten past most of the pain, her butt still hurt in the morning.

Tomo whipped back around, now wearing a normal smile.

"Sure, I'll help you" Tomo said.

…

Tomo and Kaorin stood pressed up against the wall outside Joe's house, as both Joe and Sakaki walked out of the house. Sakakai was wearing a long black skirt with high heels. Joe was wearing the suit he affectionately referred to as the "James Bond Suit" (Black suit, white undersuit, black bowtie, etc) It was obvious that they were going out somewhere fancy.

Joe and Sakaki walked away to go out on their date.

Tomo signaled for Kaorin to follow her, and she went up to the door, pulled out a paper clip, bent it into a certain shape, and began to pick the lock.

"Where in the world did you learn to pick locks?" Kaorin asked, surprised at this.

"Some guy stopped me, and taught me how to do it. He walked off, muttering something about hating Joe for dating Sakaki." Tomo said, while still being deeply focused on picking the lock.

Click! The lock unlocked.

"Bingo" Tomo said with a smile, and put the paper clip back the pocket of her jeans.

Tomo opened the door, both she and Kaorin walked in, then Tomo closed, and relocked the door.

"Shouldn't we be following Joe-san and Sakaki-san to see what they're doing?" Kaorin asked.

Tomo whipped around, and had her pointer finger pointed up into the air, as if lecturing Kaorin on the facts of life.

"No, all the good stuff always happens when the guy brings the girl to his house. The dinner date is just to get her in the mood." Tomo said.

"Good stuff? Mood?" Kaorin asked.

"You know…" Tomo nudged Kaorin. "Ero-ero…"

"HUH?" Kaorin asked. She wasn't at the beach house when Nyamo got drunk.

Tomo sighed.

"When Joe brings Sakaki over to his house, he plans on having sex with her!" Tomo said loudly and bluntly.

Kaorin looked like she was about ready to have a heart attack.

"THEN WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?! WE NEED TO GO BREAK UP THE MOOD!" Kaorin screamed with her hands around Tomo's collar, pulling her close.

Tomo broke the grip, and stepped back.

"Don't worry, if I know Sakaki-san, she won't be easy. He'll possibly try to get her drunk once they get home. We should go check the fridge." Tomo said.

ZOOM!!

Tomo's pants, shirt, and hair were pulled from the wind as Kaorin rushed by her to get to the fridge.

"TOMO!" Kaorin screamed.

Tomo rushed in and looked in the fridge with Kaorin.

"There's no…alcohol in here" Kaorin said. She breathed a sigh of relief.

All that was in there was the usual stuff you'd expect to find in the fridge. Tomo was also slightly disappointed, until…

"Hey, that's a can of Joe's super soda!" Tomo exclaimed.

Tomo took it, and examined the outer label.

"Hehehe…I've got an idea," Tomo said with an evil smile, as she took the label off of the super soda.

Tomo took another ordinary soda can, and took the label off of that. She then put the label of the regular soda on the can of super soda. Tomo then took all the soda out of the fridge, so that there was only one can of regular soda, and one can of super soda with the regular soda's label.

"Hey, I wonder where he keeps the rest of his super soda?" Tomo asked.

Both her and Kaorin looked around the kitchen, and found nothing. Kaorin went out into the living room to look, saw a safe, and called Tomo.

The safe was huge. It had one small screen on it, with password protection, retina scanner, fingerprint scanner, and DNA scanner through a hair sample. And on the safe, printed exactly as you see it below:

Super

High-tech

Information

Technology

Safe

"Hey, wait a minute…" Kaorin said. "If you put those front letters together, they spell…"

"Shh!" Tomo said. She thought she heard something.

Click! The front door unlocked.

"Oh, crap! Joe's home with Sakaki!" Tomo said, and she pulled Kaorin into the kitchen, opened a window, threw Kaorin out, jumped out the window herself, and closed the window, all within a mere matter of seconds.

Joe and Sakaki walked in the door. Joe closed the door behind him, and relocked it.

Tomo and Kaorin walked along the outside of the building, and peeked in through a window into the living room.

…

"Man, that was an awesome dinner. I never realized that Japan had such amazing cuisine," Joe said.

Sakaki nodded in agreement.

"Oh, by the way. I rented a movie…" Joe said, as he pulled out a DVD from behind his back.

Sakaki's heart began to race as she saw "A Cat's Tail: Mike's Return"

…

Joe didn't understand how Sakaki could cry with a movie like this. But he also saw it as a chance to make his move.

"Um, Sakaki-san, if it makes you feel any better, you can cry into my shoulder," Joe said.

Sakaki leaned over and started crying into Joe's shoulder. Joe's arm wrapped around Sakaki.

…

"YOUR PLAN IS NOT WORKING!" Kaorin screamed silently (as so not to be heard by Joe) as she strangled Tomo.

"Don't worry, it's just the movie. Wait until the drinks part. That's when my plan kicks into effect," Tomo said as Kaorin let go, and Tomo gasped for air. Then both she and Kaorin went back to watching the scene inside.

"What amazes me though is that they came back so fast," Tomo said. "He didn't take her anywhere else, and the dinner was fast. He must be anxious to get some action"

Kaorin was once again strangling Tomo, this time with one hand.

"You're not helping me feel any better," Kaorin growled

…

After the movie, Sakaki leaned herself back up.

"Would you like a drink?" Joe asked.

"A soda please" Sakaki said.

"Oh, good. I don't have anything alcoholic to drink" Joe said with a sigh of relief.

Joe walked into the kitchen, and opened the fridge.

Hm, I could have sworn I had more soda and even one of my super sodas in here. I sure hope Tomo didn't steal it, Joe thought as he pulled the two remaining soda's out of the fridge.

"Here you go" Joe said, as he handed a soda to Sakaki.

Both Joe and Sakaki opened their sodas at the same time.

I must be getting tired. I thought I heard one of my super soda's open, Joe thought.

…

Tomo and Kaorin watched as Joe and Sakaki clinked their soda's together, and drank them down.

"Now we see who got the super soda," Tomo said with a grin.

"You mean you don't know who got which?" Kaorin asked nervously.

"Not the slightest clue," Tomo said still smiling.

…

"Joe, I thought that tonight was very romantic," Sakaki said, blushing.

This grabbed Joe's attention.

"I just wanted to say, thank you," Sakaki said, as she leaned over.

Joe also began to lean over to catch Sakaki half way.

…

"THEY'RE GOING TO KISS!" Kaorin screamed silently.

"The soda should have taken effect by now," Tomo said looking at her watch.

…

Suddenly, Sakaki felt light-headed, and she fell backward on the couch, leaving Joe hanging there with a kissy face.

"Well, that sucks" Joe said, obviously disappointed.

…

Kaorin breathed a sigh of relief.

"Aw, they didn't kiss," Tomo said, obviously disappointed.

If Kaorin would have had an axe with her, she would have chopped Tomo in half.

Joe was now staring off into space, as Sakaki got back up.

"Look, she's still conscious!" Tomo said, which got Kaorin's attention.

…

Joe was unaware of the fact that Sakaki had gotten back up, and was talking to himself.

"Maybe I should just go to bed, but I don't want to leave Sakaki-san here on the couch, so what do I…"

Somebody grabbed Joe's suit collar, and pulled in the direction he wasn't looking.

…

"THEY KISSED! THEY FLIPPING KISSED!" Kaorin screamed.

"Man, and Sakaki-san was the one who pulled him into it," Tomo said.

Kaorin grabbed Tomo by the collar of her shirt.

"SAKAKI-SAN DRANK THE SODA!!" Kaorin screamed.

"Really? That's cool! We need to see what happens wi…" Tomo was being strangled again.

'YOU IDIOT!! WE WANTED JOE TO DRINK IT, NOT SAKAKI-SAN!" Kaorin screamed

…

Joe and Sakaki pulled apart from each other.

"Wow, Sakaki-san," Joe said contently as he licked his lips, "That was…

He tasted it. His secret soda, coming right off of Sakaki's lips.

"Sakaki-san, are you feeling OK?" Joe asked, now worried.

Sakaki had a smile that sent a small chill up Joe's spine. It was a smile that he had never seen on Sakaki before, almost like she had something evil planned.

Sakaki then reached over and unbuttoned Joe's pants.

"Let's have sex!" Sakaki said bluntly.

Joe jumped so far back against the wall that he hit the door. As his pants started to fall down, he zipped and buttoned them back up.

"Sakaki-san, as much as I would love to, really, I don't think we are far enough along in our relationship to do so, and besides, you're high off of my super soda. It just wouldn't seem right."

Sakaki stood up and started unzipping her dress from the back.

"C'mon, I know you're fighting it!" Sakaki said. Her voice tone was not that of the normal Sakaki, but that of a sex-craving manic.

Joe was backed up against the wall, as Sakaki closed in, then…

Click! Joe switched off the lights.

…

"WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?!" Kaorin continued to scream.

"Shhh!! They're going to hear us. Besides, I can't see a thing. Not with the lights off!" Tomo rebutted.

"But…Sakaki-san was starting to unzipping her dress!" Kaorin said.

"Maybe Sakaki-san was the one craving sex this entire time, she was just playing hard-to-get…" Tomo said.

"NO! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT! IT MUST HAVE BEEN THAT STUPID SODA!" Kaorin was screaming again.

…

The lights clicked back on. Sakaki had found the light switch, and was now looking around the house. Joe had managed to escape her grasp.

"You can't hide from me forever!" Sakaki said.

…

Joe sat in the bathroom. Every last door to each of the rooms had been luckily closed, so she would have to go thorough each one to find him. To make things better, he had locked the door.

She won't be able to get to me now, Joe thought.

Then another thought hit him.

How did she end up drinking my secret soda?! I could have swore I pulled out two regular soda's, Joe thought.

He would have to figure it out later, as he heard footsteps coming thorough the house.

…

Sakaki looked up at the bathroom (which had steps leading to it, and was the only room upstairs) and smiled evilly. She then walked into Joe's room.

"She just walked into the bedroom..." Tomo said. Then she gasped. "That means that..."

Kaorin stood there, looking like a frightened child.

"I can't take much more of this..." Kaorin said in a whimper.

"Hey, she's coming back out." Tomo said. "And she's...

Tomo's mouth dropped open.

"OH...MY...GOD" Tomo said.

Kaorin looked in through the window, gasped, and then almost let out a blood-curling scream, had Tomo not covered her mouth.

Joe no longer heard the footsteps in his house. This meant that either Sakaki was waiting for him, or she was planning something. Either way, he was going to wait another 5 to 10 minutes before he came out of the locked bathroom.

Then the door started to jiggle, which made Joe jump, due to the fact that he hadn't heard anybody come up.

Crap! She's taken her high heels off! Joe thought.

"I hope you know," Sakaki said. She still had that sex-craving manic tone, "You can easily pick locks inside a house with long fingernails."

That's right! They don't have locks in houses; they simply have a little turner on the outside door! Joe thought in a panicked state.

Click! The door unlocked, and slowly opened.

Joe, now standing up, backed as far as he could against the wall. Then he saw Sakaki standing in the door.

Sakaki was standing there in nothing but her black Necoconeco bra and panties.

Joe's eyes went wide, as blood started to trickle from his nose.

"S-s-Sakaki-san, w-w-what are you doing?!" Joe asked.

Sakaki walked into the bathroom, and closed the door.

…

"What's going on?" Kaorin asked.

"I have no idea. Maybe Sakaki-san just had to go to the bathroom before going at it," Tomo said, obviously enjoying the torment she was implementing on Kaorin.

"WOULD YOU STOP THAT?! YOU KNOW I CAN'T TAKE THIS!" Kaorin screamed.

…

"C'mon, Joe-san, you're resisting," Sakaki said, with that sex-craving tone.

"S-S-Sakaki-san, this j-j-just doesn't seem right," Joe said nervously, obviously holding back.

"But I know you…want…to" Sakaki said slowly, as her hand started to reach for the center point of her bra.

Joe's heart started pounding. His will had already reached its limit. If Sakaki took that bra off, his will would break, and he would end up 'going at it' with Sakaki.

As blood now flowed consistently from his nose, his eyes watched Sakaki's hand slowly reach, and then touch the center point of her bra. Joe's eyes got wide…

Then Sakaki wobbled a little bit, before falling backwards. She then started breathing heavily.

She had fallen asleep.

Joe stood there for a moment, taking in all that happened. He then slowly slid down to the floor.

All he could muster was a "hehe". He had really wanted to have sex with Sakaki, but he also knew that Sakaki was very sensitive about anything sexual, and had he had sex with her, she would have probably woken up in tears, with her self-image shattered.

Joe stood up, and wiped the blood from his nose, as well as all the blood that had dripped down (luckily, none had landed on his suit). He then put one of Sakaki's arms around his neck, and began to carry her downstairs.

…

"Look there, Joe-san has Sakaki-san with him, and she's still mostly naked!" Tomo said.

Tomo looked to see that Kaorin was no longer behind her.

"THAT PERVERTED B(bleep)ARD! I'LL KILL HIM!" Kaorin screamed, as she ran right to the front door, and kicked on it.

Kaorin's kick actually cracked Joe's door in.

"Door kicked in, defense system activated" the computer inside said.

Almost immediately, a giant steel door came crashing down right where Joe's front door is.

Then more steel doors came crashing down, one over each of Joe's windows, with a 'CLANG!'

Kaorin clawed at the steel door, then slowly fell to the ground.

"NOOOOOOO!! SAKAKI-SAAAAAAAAAN!" Kaorin screamed.

"Boy, he really wants privacy, doesn't he?" Tomo said.

"YOU SHUT UP! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Kaorin screamed at Tomo.

…

Joe had heard the defense system activate, and he was pretty sure who had tried to kick it in.

He put Sakaki into his futon, and covered her up to make sure she wouldn't get cold. He then (haphazardly) folded Sakaki's dress that had been left in his room. He then walked over to his computer (which was running secretcameras.exe), and looked at the picture labeled 'Camera 1' to see Kaorin pointing a finger at Tomo in front of the front door.

"Just as I thought," Joe said to himself.

…

"I don't want to hear it!" Kaorin continued yelling at Tomo. "Because of you, that pervert is going to have his way with Sakaki-san, and there's nothing we can do about it!"

"Hey, I had no idea that Sakaki-san would drink the soda," Tomo said defensively.

It was at that moment that Joe's house came off of defense mode, which caught both Kaorin's and Tomo's attention.

Joe slowly opened the front door, with one hand behind his back, and a very serious look on his face, which made Kaorin lose all her anger.

"Ah, Joe-san, done already?" Tomo asked in her usual Tomo way.

Joe pulled out a gun from behind his back, and shot at Tomo.

Tomo instantly felt a dart hit her in the neck.

"Yomi…is fun to irritate…" Tomo said groggily, as she fell to the ground.

"Where did you get a tranquilizer gun?" Kaorin asked.

"Internet," Joe responded. "I knew I would need one someday, as soon as I met Tomo."

…

After dragging Tomo's body inside, Joe and Kaorin were sitting around a table. Joe still wore that serious look on his face. Kaorin was wearing a face that said she had something on her mind.

"You really do like Sakaki-san, don't you?" Joe broke the silence.

Kaorin nodded.

Joe sighed.

Figures. My very first girlfriend has a lesbian lover, Joe thought.

"So, um…" Joe tried to think of something to say.

"I saw everything," Kaorin said.

"I kinda figured, since you tried to kick in my door," Joe said.

"So…did you?" Kaorin asked.

"Nah. Sakaki-san had a drink of my super soda. It was almost like getting her drunk, and I really don't want to do anything like that." Joe said.

Kaorin felt a little better knowing that Sakaki-san still had her virginity.

"So, where is she?" Kaorin asked.

"Asleep in my futon," Joe responded

"So, how many girlfriends have you had before Sakaki-san?" Kaorin asked.

Joe sighed, and mustered up the courage to tell her.

"None," Joe said.

Kaorin was kind of surprised, only by the fact that Joe knew precisely what Sakaki wanted, and that's how they ended up being together, even though he had never had any girlfriends before this.

"So, does Sakaki-san know you like her?" Joe asked.

Kaorin shook her head slowly. Tomo began sucking her thumb in her sleep.

"Well, this is…severely awkward," Joe said

Kaorin nodded her head slowly. She continued to look down at the table, unable to make eye contact.

"Hey," Joe said.

Kaorin looked up. He had a much more friendly face on, which helped Kaorin make eye contact.

"I'll try to keep the kissing thing in front of you down to a minimum. But I want you to tell Sakaki you like her as soon as possible, OK?" Joe asked.

Kaorin smiled slightly, and nodded.

Both Joe and Kaorin felt, at that moment, that they had finally come to terms with each other.

Kaorin stood up, and walked out to leave, before turning back.

"What are you going to do with Tomo?" Kaorin asked.

"She was the one who switched the soda labels, correct?" Joe asked.

Kaorin was surprised that he knew, but nodded.

"Then she'll be receiving a nice 'punishment'," Joe said with an evil grin.

Kaorin smiled, and walked out. Tomo had aggravated her enough that night; whatever Joe was going to do to her was punishment enough.

…

Joe came back from 'taking Tomo out'. He checked on Sakaki, who was still sleeping, but now she was turned to her side, and smiling. She had cuddled up with Neko-san.

Joe just smiled at this, and walked out to sleep on the couch.

…

Sakaki woke up the next morning. (Neko-san had left her side early that morning to go eat the food Joe had poured out for him) She then leaned up, and realized she was down to only her panties and bra. Her mind began to race, and her heart began to beat fast in nervousness. She covered her mouth.

"Did I…" Sakaki asked herself. She found her dress folded (if you could call it that) next to the futon.

Sakaki quickly put her dress on, and walked out to find Joe, eating a nice breakfast of cereal with bacon.

Sakaki sat down, and looked at the table, unsure of how to ask.

"Morning, Sakaki-san," Joe said, obvious that something was on his mind. He grabbed a small plate, and held over by Sakaki "Bacon?"

"No, thanks," Sakaki said.

She's back to the normal Sakaki voice, Joe thought. He relaxed.

"Joe-san…did we…um…" Sakaki stuttered. She started blushing deeply. She also shivered slightly, because she couldn't remember a thing that had happened last night.

"Did I ever tell you how cute you are when you blush?" Joe said in a friendly voice.

This made Sakaki smile a little bit.

"No, Sakaki-san, we did not. You ended up drinking some of my secret soda, and that's how you ended up like that." Joe said.

"Huh, how so?" Sakaki asked. The blush was gone.

…

Sakaki stared at the table in utter shock as Joe finished up his story about precisely what had happened last night.

"And…you held back…because…"Sakaki said, trying to comprehend what Joe had told her.

"Because I knew you're feelings would be shattered if I had sex with you," Joe said.

Sakaki-san smiled, as tears of happiness weld up in her eyes.

"Thank you so much," Sakaki said, as she wiped away the tears. She then leaned over.

Joe leaned over, and they finished what they had started the previous night.

"So, what about Tomo-chan?" Sakaki asked, as they finished kissing.

"Oh, her?" Joe said, then evilly: "She's probably waking up to her punishment right now"

…

Tomo woke up, and found a note taped to forehead. She read it.

"Dear Tomo,

You are in a cat suit, covered with cat treats, in an alley full of cats. I also sprayed you with "Female mating scent"

Joe

P.S. its mating season ;)"

As Tomo finished this last part of the letter, cats began gathering around her. Tomo got the blue lines down her eyes.

"Damn you, Joe," Tomo mumbled.

Anyone within two miles of that particular alley could have heard a 24-year-old woman scream like a 6-year-old girl.

…

Author's Notes: This was possibly the hardest chapter to write, considering I had to keep switching views between Kaorin and Tomo, and Joe and Sakaki.

Next Chapter: Chiyo gets lost.


	23. Chiyo gets lost

Chiyo gets lost

Note: Rebecca Miyamoto and Himeko Katagiri (Maho!) from Pani Poni Dash! will be making a surprise appearance in this chapter.

The little scene between Joe and Sakaki happened on Thursday night to Friday morning. (Needless to say, both Joe and Sakaki were slightly late to work.)

We now join Chiyo, on the Saturday following this incident.

…

Chiyo woke up, and had her usual breakfast. She then got to the door to go out for her usual morning jog, opened the door, and stopped.

Tomo, Yomi, Osaka, Sakaki, Kaorin, Joe, and even Nyamo and Yukari were standing right outside her door (Kagura and Heiko were off training). And they all bore a very serious look (even Yukari, which scared Chiyo a little bit)

"Guys, what's wrong?" Chiyo asked.

"Chiyo, we had a little incident involving Sakaki and me on Thursday night" Joe said.

"Incident?" Chiyo asked.

(As Joe tells the story, Chiyo makes a whole bunch of horrified faces. We'll leave it to your imagination as to what kind)

"So, what happened to Tomo?" Chiyo asked at the end of the story.

At this point, everybody cracked a smile. Yomi was trying her hardest to keep from laughing. Tomo's head started sizzling.

"Well, um…" Joe said with an evil smile. He then went up to Chiyo and started whispering in her ear.

Chiyo snickered, and had to bite her lip to keep from bursting out laughing.

"So, um, how did she get out of the…(snicker)…cat suit?" Chiyo asked.

"Yomi had to help" Tomo said, obviously irritated. "After she was done laughing."

Yomi couldn't hold it anymore. She burst out laughing.

"You were made into a cat sex toy!" Yomi said, pointing at Tomo. "And you fully deserved every last waking moment of it!"

It was at this point that everybody started to laugh. Tomo's ears started to shoot steam.

After everybody had had their laughs, Joe continued:

"But anyway, Chiyo-chan, the whole point of us coming over here, is because, we want you to drink the secret soda," Joe said, as he pulled out a can.

Everybody stopped laughing, and was now focused on Chiyo.

"But why?" Chiyo asked.

"Because if Sakaki had the effects that she did, we are all worried about the effects this stuff will have on you, and we don't want another incident to happen." Joe said in a very serious tone.

"But…I just ate breakfast" Chiyo said.

Everybody did the "anime-crash-to-the-ground".

"Well, we might as well sit around, I have a few questions to ask Chiyo-chan" Yomi said after getting up.

…

They were now all together, sitting around Chiyo's (gigantic) front yard.

"So, Chiyo, were did you go to school?" Yomi asked.

"Well, I took online courses for Yale," Chiyo said.

"HUH?" Joe said. "Now this even I didn't know"

"Yes, I took online courses for Yale, and then I went to the school that you and I went to," Chiyo said.

Flipping genius child, everybody thought.

"So, where did you go to school with Joe?" Yomi asked.

"M.I.T." Chiyo said.

"What is MIT?" Yomi asked.

"Oh, that would be massachuchu…mashachutshu…" She looked over at Joe with a hopelessly-lost smile.

"Massachusetts Institute of Technology" Joe said.

"Sorry, I always have a hard time pronouncing that first part," Chiyo said, rubbing the back of her head with one hand.

…

All the way across town, Rebecca Miyamoto's eye twitched.

"Somebody's making fun of me," Becky said.

"Maho! Somebody's making fun of chibi-sensei! (midget teacher)" Himeko said.

…

"So, what did you study, for both schools, I mean?" Yomi asked.

"Well, I pretty much studied how to use computers at MIT, but I studied to become a doctor for Yale" Chiyo said.

"Don't you have to cut open dead bodies to study for that sort of thing?" Joe asked, which sent a small chill up everybody else's spine.

"Yes, but even MIT had a few that I could use," Chiyo said.

"Creepy," Joe said.

"Well, all this talking sure has made me thirsty," Chiyo said, as she opened up the super soda can.

Everybody's eyes were on Chiyo as she downed the soda. She then just sat there, as…

"Oh, no, I'm dreaming again," Osaka said, as she closed her eyes.

Chiyo's pigtails were slowly moving up and down on their own.

"Man, how boring," Yukari said. This made Joe and Nyamo more alert to Chiyo, for fear that the same thing would happen to her as it did to Yukari.

Then Chiyo's pigtails stopped moving.

"Well, that was anti-climactic." Yomi said.

Just then, Chiyo's braids started moving super-fast up and down, and Chiyo shot off the ground.

Joe tried grabbing for her, but missed completely.

"CHIYO-CHAN!" Joe screamed.

Chiyo looked down to try to yell back, but now instead of going up, she started heading off towards town.

"Everybody in the vehicles!" Nyamo screamed.

Everybody except for Tomo and Yukari went to Nyamo's car, which led to much pushing and shoving, and a whole lot of crowding.

"C'mon, if you guys don't hurry up, we're going to lose her!" Nyamo yelled.

"We can't help it!" Yomi, Kaorin, Sakaki, and Joe screamed.

Joe then let them crowd into Nyamo's car, and he ran to go to his house.

"You guys go! I'll catch up!" Joe screamed back at them.

Osaka, on the other hand, still sat on the lawn, completely unmoving, with her eyes closed.

"It's all just a dream," she kept muttering to herself.

…

Nyamo went speeding along the road (no surprise, Yukari went speeding by them) as they watched Chiyo in the air.

ZOOM!!

A cloud of smoke was following a moving object along the sidewalk.

Joe had managed to run back to his house, and drink a can of his secret soda himself.

At intersections, he would jump, and make it completely across. He also somehow managed to dodge other pedestrians.

…

Up in the sky, Chiyo had gotten turned around, so now she was still flying in the same direction, but she couldn't see where she was going, for her eyes were now pointed in the sky.

Then, her pigtails stopped moving.

Chiyo's heart began to race.

Chiyo screamed, as she fell….fell…fell…

Actually, (luckily), she only fell about 2 feet (60 cm) and landed on a rooftop, but she hit the back of her head on something hard, and was knocked unconscious.

…

Joe stopped completely. Not only had his soda run out, but also he had completely lost sight of Chiyo. What's worse is that he had seen her go down.

"No…." he had to hope that she was OK. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if Chiyo died because of his stupid secret soda.

Nyamo, Yukari, and Joe were all stopped in town.

"This is right about where she went down!" Yomi said, as she got out of the car.

"Right about where who went down?" Kagura asked. Her and Heiko were standing right there.

"Chiyo-chan drank some of the secret soda, and ended up flying somewhere here." Joe said. "Could you possibly help us find her?"

"Of course I can!" Kagura exclaimed, and then she explained the situation to Heiko.

Heiko said a few things in German, and then he and Kagura kissed.

Joe and Sakaki slightly blushed at this.

"He's headed home." Kagura explained.

"OK, let's go looking!" Joe exclaimed.

"Why don't you try calling her on her cell phone?" Yomi said.

Joe just stood there, dumbfounded.

"Oh, yeah," Joe said, like he had just realized it now. Everybody sweat-dropped.

Joe called Chiyo's cell phone.

…

Up on the rooftop, Chiyo's cell phone went off in her pocket. She was still completely unconscious, didn't hear it, as the cell phone rang, and went to her voice message.

…

Joe closed up his cell phone.

"She's not answering," Joe said with a very serious, worried tone.

"Don't worry, Joe, I'm sure we'll find her," Kagura said, trying to make Joe feel slightly better.

Sakaki walked up and put her hand on Joe's shoulder. Since they were both about the same height, Joe and Sakaki made eye contact.

"Have faith," Sakaki said.

Joe smiled slightly.

"OK, let's go!" Joe said.

…

Author's notes: Seriously, every time Himeko says "Maho!", I get the smiles. That is such a stupid saying it's funny.

Next Chapter: Side effects of super soda. The final chapter in the miscellaneous saga.


	24. Side effects of super soda, end saga

Side effects of super soda. The final chapter in the miscellaneous saga.

Note: Watch for a bit more censored cursing in this chapter

…

Tomo, Yomi, Kagura, Kaorin, Sakaki, and Joe had spent the entire day looking for Chiyo, with absolutely no luck at all.

Joe had called Chiyo's house, and told her parents a lie about Chiyo staying over at his house.

Everybody agreed to stay at Joe's house until Chiyo showed up (Joe's house was the closest to Chiyo's house).

"Osaka finally went home too, though she kept muttering to herself about a dream," Joe said with a sigh.

…

Everybody had fallen asleep in Joe's house somewhere (whether it be on the floor, the couch, or even in his futon), all except for Joe. He felt somewhat responsible for Chiyo's disappearance, and because of that, was unable to fall asleep.

Joe sat there, staring at his cell phone on the table. He began to wonder if maybe he should throw away his soda. It was far too dangerous, as proven by the effects of Yukari, Tomo, Sakaki, and now Chiyo.

He just sat there, and continued to stare at his cell phone, praying that it would ring.

…

Chiyo, still unconscious on the rooftop, now was having a dream.

"Chiyo-chan" Chiyo-chichi said as he floated down. He and Chiyo were standing in the middle of white space. "Drinking a soda that is that highly caffeine-ated is very bad for you. It sent you flying into worlds unknown. But, you have friends, and have treated them well. So, I leave you with this parting gift."

And with that, Chiyo-chichi spread his arms, letting out a great flash of light.

…

End Chiyo's dream

…

Chiyo woke up.

She slowly got up, and rubbed the back of her head. It hurt badly.

The sun was coming up over the horizon. Chiyo guessed it had to be early in the morning.

Chiyo looked down off of the building to see that she was all the way up on top of a building. But looking around, and realizing what buildings were around the one she was on, she guessed she was on top of the mall.

Then Chiyo saw her hands. They were not the normal hands she was used to seeing.

Chiyo realized then what had happened (possibly as a side effect of the soda).

Chiyo's eyes welled up with tears of happiness.

"All right!" Chiyo yelled.

From the other side of the building, we hear a "RIIIIIIP!" followed by a small scream of surprise.

…

Joe's cell phone went off. Joe immediately grabbed it and picked up.

"Chiyo-chan! Oh thank games, you're alright!" Joe said.

"Guys, wake up, Chiyo-chan's alright!" Joe screamed at everybody while he put one hand on the receiver.

Everybody was now awake, and aware to the fact that Chiyo was OK.

"Chiyo-chan, where are you? And are you OK? You sound funny." Joe said.

"I'm fine," Chiyo said from the other side. "I'm on the mall rooftop. Listen, could you ask Sakaki to bring an extra set of her clothing?"

"Hm? What for?" Joe asked.

"I…kinda need them." Then Chiyo gasped. "Hurry, Joe-san, I hear some people coming!"

And with that, Chiyo hung up.

Joe started to get nervous again.

"So, where is she?" Nyamo asked.

"Quick, we need to get over to Sakaki's house. Chiyo wanted an extra set of Sakaki's clothing. And I think she's in trouble. She hung up because she heard some people coming." Joe said, "We need to mobilize, now!"

Everybody was now in a rushed state.

Joe quickly drank down one of his super sodas.

Chiyo-chan, hang in there, Joe thought.

…

As luck would have it, Sakaki's house was on the way to the mall. Sakaki stopped and quickly grabbed everything for an extra set of clothing, even making sure to grab an extra pair of shoes.

…

As all of the Azu-girls jumped out of Nyamo's and Yukari's car, they all ran up the stairs to find Joe gasping for air about halfway up.

"The…soda…ran…out," Joe said in between breaths.

After Joe had gotten hold of his wind, they ran up the last part of the stairs, and burst through the door to find themselves on an empty rooftop.

"Where is she?" Joe asked.

"Hey, do you hear that?" Kagura asked.

The group listened. They heard voices coming from the other side of the rooftop.

…

Three guys had come up to smoke on the rooftop, but these were no ordinary guys.

…

The group slowly peeked around the corner to see that the guys were looking at something that they couldn't see. (The group had view of the guys left sides)

"I recognize them!" Yukari said. "They are from that gang that has been terrorizing the streets of Japan!"

The three guys looked like they really did come from a gang. Each of them had a tattoo imprinted on their arm that said "No mercy, only chaos" imprinted on a skull and crossbones.

"C'mon, little girl," Guy 1 said "We don't want to hurt you…"

"We only want to get things done," Guy 2 said, as he made 'the' motion, with his hips (back and forth)

The other two guys laughed.

"They're threating Chiyo!" Tomo said. "They going to 'go at it' with her!"

Sakaki, Nyamo, Yomi, Kagura, and even Yukari all gasped.

Joe's rage and anger went through the roof.

He immediately jumped out of his hiding spot, and started charging at one of the guys.

"YOU PERVERTED B(bleep)ARDS!" Joe yelled, as he ran at Guy 1.

Guy 1 turned his head just to see Joe charging at him.

Joe's left knee came up and hit Guy 1 in the stomach. Then, as Guy 1 curled up after the hit, Joe's left fist came up and hit his face, sending him backward.

Then, with his left leg still implanted in Guy 1's stomach, his right foot came swinging around, and hit Guy 2 in the stomach. Then his right elbow came swinging down on the back of Guy 2's neck, knocking him unconscious.

Joe now unplanted everything he had in both guys, got his feet and fists on top of Guy 2's back, and pushed off of Guy 2's back, pushing Guy 2 into the ground.

Joe's right fist came up and hit Guy 3 right on the left cheek. Before Guy 3 could even react, Joe's left knee came up and hit him straight in the "forbidden zone".

Guy 3 grabbed his crotch, and fell to the ground, completely at a loss of breath. Joe then kicked him in the face, knocking him unconscious.

Joe breathed through his nose, trying to calm himself down.

"8 hits, 3 KO's," Joe said to himself.

Guy one moaned, and started getting up. Joe walked over, and kicked him in the face.

"DAMMIT!" Joe screamed.

"What?!" Yukari asked, who seemed to be the only one able to speak.

"He broke my combo," Joe said, obviously disappointed.

Yukari sweat-dropped.

"Joe-san?"

"Chiyo-chan!" Joe looked over to where the guys had been looking. Chiyo had hidden herself in the shadows. Joe started walking over.

"DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!" Chiyo screamed. Joe took one step back, a bit surprised and a bit hurt.

"Chiyo-chan, are you OK? You sound…um…sick." Joe said. Chiyo's voice had sounded a bit different, much higher, and more feminine.

"I'm fine. Can you just get Sakaki to bring her clothes over here?" Chiyo asked.

Joe smiled, as if he understood everything. He then walked over to Sakaki.

"Could you bring her your clothes? It must be a woman thing." Joe said.

Sakaki nodded, but from out of nowhere, Tomo grabbed the clothing from Sakaki, and started running over to where Chiyo was hiding.

"I'll do it!" Tomo yelled, in her usual energetic way.

Tomo reached the spot where Chiyo was hiding.

"So, Chiyo-chan, wha…?" Tomo stopped. Her mouth gaped open, and her eyes were glued.

Chiyo took the clothing from Tomo, who was frozen there, as if in some sort of trance.

…

A few moments later, Chiyo emerged from the shadows for everybody to see. Everybody's mouth dropped. A few even gasped.

"C…C…Chiyo-chan?" Joe asked.

"Please, call me Mihama-san," Chiyo said in a very grown up way.

"She's…" Kagura started.

"She's…" Nyamo said.

"She's…!" Yukari said.

"She's…" Kaorin said.

"She's…" Sakaki said.

"Beautiful," they all said at the same time.

Chiyo now stood as tall as Sakaki. She had the long, wavy orange hair that went down to about the bottom of her butt. Her arms were no longer childish, but rather long. Her fingers had grown at least twice their length. Her eyelashes had gotten long. Sparkles shown in the air all around her. But the one thing that caught everybody's eyes was the fact that Chiyo now had a pair of breasts that rivaled Sakaki's.

Basically, Chiyo had grown up within a mere matter of a day.

"Chi…I mean, Mihama-san, what in the world happened?" Joe asked.

"I think it may have to do with your super soda, but I woke up like this this morning." Chiyo said. "I was so happy that I jumped and yelled for joy, but my clothes ripped right off my body."

Joe stuffed two tissues from his pocket into his nose, as he imagined this sexy girl's clothes ripping right off. The tissues were soaked red within seconds.

"And, Joe-san…" Chiyo said.

"Yes?" Joe asked.

Chiyo went right up and hugged him.

"Thank you for coming to my rescue." Chiyo said.

"Hehe…no problem," Joe said with a smile.

"Hey! What about me?!" Tomo had now snapped out of her trance, and was now right over by Chiyo. "I was the one who brought you the clothes!"

"Hey, Tomo," Chiyo said as she leaned in close. "Looks like only you and Osaka are together now."

"Huh?" Tomo said. Then she saw the big breasts that Chiyo had, looked down at her flat chest, and tears 'rivered' down both sides of her face.

"Not fair!!" Tomo screamed.

Joe had now removed both of the bloody tissues from his nose.

"Uh, Chi…Mihama-san," Joe said. "You do know that this might only last for the rest of the day."

"I know that," Chiyo said, still with a smile. "But I'm going to enjoy the rest of my day like this. C'mon guys, let's go!"

"Alright! I bet you could order sake, and they wouldn't ask you for your ID!" Yukari said.

As they all filed down the stairs, Joe just stared at the rooftops, wearing a smile on his face.

Maybe I shouldn't throw the soda away, he thought.

One of the guys he had knocked out moaned behind him.

"Oh, that's right," Joe said, as he pulled out his cell phone.

…

As everybody walked home from their awesome (and expensive, thanks to Yukari) day, Joe and Chiyo continued to walk toward their house.

Chiyo then stopped, which caused Joe to stop as well.

"Chiyo, are you OK?" Joe asked.

"Do you think my parents will recognize me like this?" Chiyo asked, completely serious.

"Good point. But I definitely need you to call them this time." Joe said.

"'kay" Chiyo said, as she whipped out her cell phone.

…

Back on the rooftop, Kotake was standing there as six officers took the three guys away.

Kid, I guess I owe ya one, Kotake thought.

…

"Well, they'll let me stay at your house, but they are beginning to wonder if something is going on between us," Chiyo said with a laugh.

Joe laughed with her.

…

As Joe got into his futon, Chiyo asked him.

"Joe-san, could you sleep with me tonight?" Chiyo asked.

"Um, Chi…Mihama-san, I really don't think that would be a good idea," Joe said.

"Why not?" Chiyo asked.

"Um…well…I'm kind of already dating Sakaki-san, and…" Joe started.

"That's my point." Chiyo said. Joe looked at her, completely lost.

"I really want to know what it's like to have somebody you care so much about that you would do anything for them," Chiyo said.

Joe still couldn't get past the fact that this was Chiyo he was talking to. The whole 'adult body' thing kinda creeped him out.

"Well, Chiyo" Joe said. "I'm pretty sure you and I are already there."

"Huh?" Chiyo asked.

"When those three guys were about to attack you, I felt my rage really build up. I was ready to risk my life to protect yours. That's what friends are for. And I'm pretty sure Sakaki, Kaorin, Yomi, To…Osaka, and even Nyamo would do the same for you." Joe said.

I can't believe I almost said Tomo, Joe thought, feeling like an idiot.

Chiyo looked at him, gathering all this information in, then put her head on her futon mattress, and smiled.

"Yeah, you're right" Chiyo said, "Besides, if this wears off overnight, you'll wake up next to a child like me, and be accused of being a pedophile!" Chiyo laughed at this part.

Joe nervously laughed. This was one reason he didn't want to be in the same futon with Chiyo to begin with.

"Well, goodnight, Mihama-san" Joe said, and he clapped his lights off.

"You installed a clapper?!" Chiyo exclaimed.

"You have no idea how much it helps that I don't have to find my way to my futon in the dark," Joe said.

And with that, Joe and Chiyo fell asleep.

…

Meanwhile, all the way over at her house, Osaka still sat in her bed.

"Just a dream, just a dream,…" she mumbled, actually tilting over, and falling asleep herself.

And guess which dream she had.

…

Author's notes: Finally! I finished the saga!! Thank you all for your patience.

As a special bonus: Review this chapter, and receive a sneak peek at the next saga in the reply!

This is my way of saying, "Thanks for reviewing my fanfic" ;)

JBK2K1


	25. Sakaki's Birthday, begin Cat Saga

Sakaki's Birthday coming up! Begin Cat saga.

Note: I have no idea when Sakaki's real birthday is (and searching the internet yielded no results), so we are just going to put it in September, when this chapter is taking place.

…

Monday morning (beginning of September)

…

Chiyo woke up and stretched out.

"Good morning, Joe-san" Chiyo said in her usual happy way.

"Chiyo-chan, your body is still the same, but your head changed back!" Joe said.

Chiyo-chan looked down to see that she still had the body of a grown woman, but her head (and facial features) had changed back to that of a child.

Chiyo screamed.

…

Chiyo then snapped awake, and quickly sat up. She was sweating profusely, and was breathing hard.

She then checked her body. She had shrunk back down to her normal size (all of her). She let out a sigh of relief.

Then she gasped when she realized that, because she had shrunk, Sakaki's clothes no longer fit her, and she was sitting there with oversized clothing, which with one sneeze, would fall down.

"Hey, Chiyo-chan!" Joe screamed from the bathroom. "Yomi came by this morning, and dropped some of your clothes off! They're on my futon!"

Chiyo looked over to see her clothing, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"How could you tell I was awake?" Chiyo asked.

"Because I no longer heard you screaming from your nightmare!" Joe screamed back. Then it sounded like he was brushing his teeth. He, after all, had to walk with Sakaki in the morning.

Chiyo quickly put on her clothes, did her hair back into two pigtails, thanked Joe, left his house, and went for her usual run.

…

Timeskip: The next weekend

…

He had gone over to have some tea with Sakaki's mother, and to ask her when Sakaki's birthday was.

"Oh, it's on Friday of next week," Sakaki's mother said.

"Ah, is that so?" Joe said subtly, even though Joe's heart began to race. He had only a few days to get birthday presents.

Luckily, Sakaki-san is easy to buy for, Joe thought with a smile.

"Thank you again so much," Joe said, as he left Sakaki's parent's house.

Then Joe had a flashback that perked his curiosity.

Joe began running, with his target directly in mind.

…

It was always busy down at the police office. Kotake walked into his own office (with his name on it), and sat down at his desk that was cluttered with paperwork among other things.

His phone immediately rang. Kotake picked up to his boss yelling at him.

"Yes, sir" Kotake said like a machine recording. "Yes, sir"

A man walked up to the desk. Kotake looked up, and did a double take.

Joe was standing there, with a very serious look on his face.

"Look, chief, I'll have to talk to you later," Kotake said, and with that, hung up.

A moment of silence (even though the department was a place of chaos)

"Can I help you?" Kotake asked.

"When the state dropped the charges against Sakaki-san, the lawyer said something about "incriminating evidence that could release her" or something like that. What did he mean?" Joe asked.

Kotake sighed, and stood up.

"Come with me," Kotake said, as Joe followed him out of his office.

…

Joe was standing in what appeared to be a questioning room (The rooms with the one way glass). Joe sat down, as Kotake wheeled in a TV.

"This," Kotake said as he showed Joe a videotape "is what he was talking about."

"Don't you guys have DVD players yet?" Joe asked

"Not in the budget, kid" Kotake said, as he popped in the tape.

The video showed a bit of static at the start, followed by a close-up of an officer's face, who seemed to be adjusting something on the camera. By the looks of it, he was putting the camera somewhere up high.

As the officer on the video stepped back, Joe instantly recognized where the camera was.

"This camera was secretly placed in Sakaki-san's room so we could monitor her more closely." Kotake said.

Kotake then fast-forwarded the tape to the part where Sakaki, Kaorin, Chiyo, and Joe were all operating on Mayaa.

"This is what they were talking about," Kotake said. "To operate on her own cat with limited supplies to try and save its life. That is an utmost sign of love."

Joe stood up. He had the perfect idea for Sakaki's birthday.

"Thanks, Kotake," Joe said. "By the way, thanks also for showing me that building"

"No problem. I felt as if I owed to her for wrongly arresting her," Kotake said.

As Joe walked out of the room and down the hall to exit, Kotake watched the film a little more.

In the video, Joe suddenly fell to the floor.

"I'm just lucky that I was off camera when I chopped the back of his neck," Kotake said to himself.

…

Joe managed to tell the rest of the Azu-girls about Sakaki's birthday that day, so they would all manage to get gifts.

…

Another time skip: Sakaki's birthday

…

Sakaki sat in her bedroom. Only her parents had managed to remember her birthdays during her school years.

She heard her doorbell ring.

She went and opened the door.

"Surprise!" Everybody yelled. "Happy Birthday!"

Sakaki looked very seriously surprised at everybody being there, and she was happy that everybody remembered her birthday.

…

They all gathered around a table in Sakaki's house, and each of them put their presents behind them, so they could give it to Sakaki when the time came.

(Tomo and Osaka are sitting at one end of the table. Chiyo and Yomi are sitting at the other end of the table. Sakaki is sitting in the middle of Kaorin and Joe on one side, Kagura and Heiko are on the other side. Kaorin and Kagura are sitting closer to Tomo and Osaka; and Joe and Heiko are sitting closer to Chiyo and Yomi.

I had a diagram drawn here, but fanfiction didn't convert very well XP)

…

The one thing that everybody noticed, though, was that Osaka had a huge package behind her.

Chiyo was the first to give Sakaki her present.

It was simply a little ticket, so Sakaki read it.

"Good for a year's supply of meaty cat food," Sakaki read.

"I know that kind can be expensive," Chiyo said.

"Thank you," Sakaki said with a smile. But Joe sensed that it was almost a forced smile, like something was wrong, not with the present, but with something else.

Kagura and Heiko were next to give Sakaki her present.

"This is from the both of us," Kagura said.

Sakaki opened up, and pulled out Necoconeco sweatpants and sweatshirt.

"For exercising on cold days!"Heiko said in English

"Thank you" Sakaki said with a smile.

Tomo was the next to give her present. It was a small package.

"Cut back on your spending, Tomo?" Joe asked, slightly irritated.

"No, I think I got her the perfect gift," Tomo said with an open-mouth, closed-eyed smile.

This made everybody slightly nervous.

Sakaki opened the small package, and looked inside.

Instantly, Sakaki's face turned red in embarrassment.

In response to this, Joe and Kaorin leaned over and looked inside the package.

"Well, what do you think?" Tomo asked, still wearing that same smile.

"You idiot," Joe and Kaorin said, as they leaned back into their positions.

"Well, what she get her?" Chiyo asked.

Joe blushed in embarrassment.

"A pack of condoms" Joe muttered.

"Well, you two are dating. I think it's about time you two went at it!" Tomo said.

Kaorin began to fume. She hit Osaka's left curled up leg, which in turn made Osaka's right arm come up and hit Tomo square in the chin, knocking her back.

"Woah, how did you do that?" Kagura asked.

"Osaka's reflexes are a little screwed up," Koarin said with a smile.

"No kidding. I would have thought my left arm would have come up," Osaka said.

Everybody sweat-dropped.

As Tomo sat back up, Osaka handed Sakaki her super huge package.

Sakaki opened it up, took one look inside, and immediately looked at Osaka.

"Nondeyanen? (why the hell…?)" Sakaki asked.

"Well, they all wanted to package it up so nicely," Osaka said.

Sakaki almost had to jump in to get the tiny present that Osaka had in there.

"It's a video I went to Osaka and got," Osaka said.

Labeled on the DVD was "Manzai Men: Series 1"

(Note: in case you didn't know, Manzai is a form of Osakian comedy)

"I'll have to watch this tonight," Sakaki said. "Thank you"

She had this huge package for a tiny DVD? Everybody thought

Yomi was next.

"An Irimote information book…Thank you" Sakaki said, as she flipped through the pages.

"I had to have that mailed in from Okinawa," Yomi said.

Sakaki stopped on a particular page, and read one sentence: "Iriomote cats enjoy being outdoors"

Her eyes watered up.

"Sakaki-san, are you OK?" Joe asked.

"Mayaa has been locked up in my house since I got arrested." Sakaki said. "I can't let him out, as part of the restrictions on me."

Joe knew then, deep down in his heart, that he had gotten Sakaki the perfect gift.

Now it was Kaorin's turn.

She handed her tiny package off to Sakaki, and Sakaki opened it up to find Necoconeco earrings, with diamonds all around it.

It shined in Sakaki's eyes.

"Thank you very much, Kaorin-san" Sakaki said with a huge smile.

"I…I knew you'd like it," Kaorin said, blushing.

Joe then handed off his package to Sakaki.

Kaorin swallowed. All she would have to do is outdo Joe and she'd have brownie points with Sakaki.

Sakaki opened up the package to find a brown Iriomote Necoconeco t-shirt.

Kaorin looked like she was about to jump for joy.

Yes! I outdid him! Kaorin thought.

"I didn't know if it was big enough, so you may want to check that," Joe said.

Sakaki lifted up the shirt out of the package, so that it unfolded. A piece of paper came floating out of the shirt, and stopped right in front of Chiyo. She picked up the paper, and began to read it.

Sakaki (as well as everybody else) noticed this, and looked over at Chiyo.

Chiyo finished reading, and then looked over at Joe with the biggest smile on her face. She gave him a thumbs-up.

Perfect, she thought.

"I think you had better read this," Chiyo said, as she handed it off to Sakaki.

Sakaki began reading the document with a severe interest. As she read more, a smile began to form, and tears of happiness welled up in her eyes.

"What's it say, Chiyo-chan?" Yomi asked.

"It's really a lot of legal gibberish, but it all boils down to "Mayaa is now under the protective custody of Sakaki-san, and he is now able to go outside the house" Chiyo said.

Sakaki jumped right at Joe, arms wide. The document went flying out of her hand as she did so.

Kaorin sat there, eyes wide, gasping like a fish out of water as she watched Sakaki kiss Joe wildly. Tomo and Osaka leaned over to see the action that Chiyo and Yomi already had full view of.

"Woah, I think I see some tongue in there!" Tomo said.

"How can he breath when she does that?" Osaka asked.

Sakaki leaned back up, and breathed.

"Sorry, excitement," Sakaki said in her usual cool way.

Chiyo looked over at Joe, who was lying on the ground, with little hearts floating above his head, and that love-struck look on his face.

"I think you got her the perfect gift," Chiyo whispered.

"Yeah, I think so too," Joe said in a love-struck tone.

Yomi put her elbow on the table, her chin on her hand, and sighed.

"I'm jealous," she said.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find some fat guy who likes you!" Tomo said.

Joe instantly lost the love struck look on his face. The little hearts above his head popped.

"Party's over," both Joe and Chiyo whispered.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Yomi screamed, as she jumped, arms stretched out, aimed for Tomo's neck.

…

After everything had settled down, Kagura, Heiko, Osaka, Tomo, Yomi, and Chiyo all left, leaving only Sakaki, Joe and Kaorin.

"Joe-san, May I have a moment with Sakaki-san?" Kaorin asked.

Joe just smiled, and left the room. He quickly slid around a corner and pulled out two things from his pocket. One was a side-view mirror that attached to his glasses, so he could see behind himself, and around corners. The other was his MP3 player. He put the earbud in his ear, but he put it in the wrong way, and went to "soundamplifier.exe" on his MP3 player. Now he could both hear and see what Kaorin and Sakaki were saying to each other.

Never leave home without your Q lab stuff, Joe thought with a smile.

Sakaki and Kaorin moved to the seats that Yomi and Chiyo had.

"Sakaki-san," Kaorin started, as she sighed heavily. "I've…I've…"

"Yes?" Sakaki asked.

"I've…always kind of liked you…in a way" Kaorin said.

"Well, I've liked you, too," Sakaki said, though not meaning it in the same way Kaorin was.

"No, as in…" Kaorin said.

She's holding back, probably in embarrassment. Guess I'll have to push it along, Joe thought.

"Sakaki-san, I've got chocolate cream all over my lips!" Joe yelled from the kitchen.

Kaorin gasped.

"Sakaki-san, I love you!!" Kaorin said, as she jumped right into Sakaki, and gave her a big kiss on the lips.

Joe didn't have time to reach for his tissues. Blood gushed from his nose.

Kaorin pulled back, now completely blushing.

"Ah…Ah…" Kaorin couldn't form words.

"So…you…love me…?" Sakaki said, slightly stunned.

"Yes," Kaorin said, now feeling better that Sakaki knew. "And…seeing you and Joe together has really been breaking my heart."

Sakaki started giggling.

"What's so funny?" Kaorin asked.

"Nothing," Sakaki said. "I just…never saw myself liking women…"

Now Kaorin started to giggle. It then turned into laughter from the both of them.

That's the way to handle it, Sakaki-san, Joe thought.

"But…" Sakaki said.

This got Kaorin's attention. Sakaki went up this time, and kissed Kaorin, this time leaving Kaorin stunned.

Joe's nose gushed blood again.

Sakaki pulled back.

"I don't really think I'm the right one for you," Sakaki said, in her cool voice. "You need to find the person that's right for you, weather it be man or woman, and go with it."

Kaorin's eyes glistened. She then kind of looked away, and seemed disappointed.

"Thank you, Sakaki-san," Kaorin said. "But…how will I…"

Sakaki understood what Kaorin was trying to say.

"You won't really know until you meet them. Until then, you just have to wait" Sakaki said.

Kaorin still couldn't look at Sakaki. Sakaki had chosen Joe over her. She could feel like her heart was breaking in two.

Her eyes began to water up. She stood up, and began walking out of Sakaki's house.

She reached the doorway, and stopped.

No, there's nothing I can say or do that will change her mind, Kaorin thought. She slowly walked out. A tear ran down her face.

Joe then quickly put his MP3 player and his side-view mirror back into his pocket.

After Kaorin left, Sakaki stood up, and walked into the kitchen where Joe was.

"What happened here?" Sakaki asked, as she stepped into the kitchen.

"Minor nosebleed," Joe said.

"But there's blood all over the floor!" Sakaki said, pointing to the puddle of blood that was underneath Joe.

"Like I said, minor nosebleed" Joe said.

…

After getting the mess cleaned up, Joe and Sakaki now sat in the living room.

"So," Joe broke the silence. "That seemed…a little awkward"

Sakaki nodded. "I didn't realize she had a thing for me"

Joe just smiled.

Then he remembered. "Ah, that's right!"

Joe pulled out two tickets from his back pocket.

"I didn't want to give you these until everybody left, but here," Joe said, as he handed Sakaki the tickets.

Right on the tickets, they said: "Okinawa"

"Trip for two to Okinawa for three days and two nights, and now we can even take Mayaa with us!" Joe said.

Sakaki eyes watered with happiness.

"Listen, Sakaki-san, I…" Joe said, and then he saw the happiness in Sakaki's eyes.

Guess I'll wait to tell her, Joe thought.

"Well, you'd better get packed. We're leaving as soon as you and Mayaa are ready!" Joe said.

Sakaki cleared her eyes, stood up, and ran to get both herself and Mayaa ready.

Mayaa went up to Joe, and stood there, staring at him.

"Looks like you get to go back home for a visit," Joe said, as he pets Mayaa.

…

Author's notes: I do plan on having most of the Azu-girls get a lover, but I've pushed that saga back into what would be spring in the story (as to be more fitting of the season). So Joe, Sakaki, Kagura, and Heiko will not be the only relationships in this story. (Yes, even Osaka gets one, for you Osaka fans out there.)

Also, I found out that Mayaa is actually a 'him' (through Wikipedia). Went and changed it in some of the previous chapters so that Mayaa is now a guy.

That was embarrassing!

Next Chapter: Off to Okinawa!


	26. Off to Okinawa

Off to Okinawa!

…

Joe and Sakaki jumped on a plane to Okinawa, and then took a boat to reach Iriomote. They then looked out to the beachside.

Joe and Sakaki (with Mayaa in her arms) stood there, just staring at the peaceful ocean.

"Feels nice that we're going to be here for a while," Sakaki said.

"Yeah…" Joe said in almost a dreamy state. He wasn't watching the ocean. He was watching Sakaki, with the wind blowing her hair.

The bushes, which were about a good three feet away from Joe, rustled. An Iriomote cat jumped out of the bushes and jumped right up on Joe, who caught the cat with his arms.

Then Joe and Sakaki heard some angry yelling coming closer.

…

"I know that Iriomote cat came through here!" The angry man said, waving a kendo-type sword.

"Let's find him, and kill him for eating our chickens!" another man said, although he was waving a pitchfork.

Four men altogether ran past a couple who were staring out into the ocean, the girl had her head on the guy's shoulder.

Joe and Sakaki watched the guys continue running, and once the angry men were out of sight, Joe and Sakaki breathed a sigh of relief.

Joe set the Iriomote cat down.

"You know," Joe said to the Iriomote, "you really shouldn't anger people like that, even if you are protected. They will still try to kill you."

The Iriomote let out a meow, as if to agree with Joe.

Then the Iriomote stared past Joe, right into the eyes of Mayaa.

"That's a female Iriomote," Sakaki said.

Joe looked at the Iriomote, and then looked back at Sakaki.

"How can you tell just by looks alone?" Joe asked.

"I'm a vet, who specializes in Iriomote cat treatment," Sakaki said.

Mayaa now struggled to try and get out of Sakaki's grip, but Sakaki wouldn't let go.

"Uh, Sakaki-san, why are you holding Mayaa back? It's not like you to do that." Joe said.

"It's Iriomote mating season," Sakaki said, as Mayaa continued to struggle.

Joe looked back at the Iriomote cat in front of him.

"Girl, seriously, not your type," Joe said.

Joe then stood up, and left the Yamamayaa cat standing there, as he, Sakaki, and Mayaa walked off.

…

Joe, Sakaki, and Mayaa visited all around the island, much like Yukari's class had done when they took a field trip here.

…

Returning to the hotel, Joe, Sakaki, and Mayaa all walked in.

"I'm sorry," the receptionist said, "We don't allow the Yamamayaa in here."

Sakaki reached into her bag, and pulled out the piece of paper that Joe had given her for her birthday.

The receptionist read the document, even having to call a manager, who in turn had to read it for himself. After much reading, rereading, and re-rereading, they finally allowed Mayaa in.

"Wait, don't you recognize that girl, and that guy?" the manager said.

"Now that you mention it, yes. I think she was the one who was arrested for possessing a Yamamayaa, and the guy was the one who defended her. What are they doing here?" the receptionist said.

Joe and Sakaki went into the hotel room, and Sakaki let Mayaa down.

Room's layout: The bed was sideways straight in front of them, with the head at the wall. To the right was the bathroom, with a shower. And a few feet from the foot of the bed was a dresser, with a TV on top of it. On both sides of the bed, by the pillows, were nightstands, with a lamp on both of them.

Joe lay down on the bed on his side. Sakaki sat down on the bed on her side, and watched Mayaa jump up and curl up right next to her.

"Sakaki-san, what do you see in me?" Joe asked.

"Huh?" Sakaki asked, as she looked at Joe.

"Well, um,…" Joe started, unsure of how say it. "OK, I know what I see in you. You're a beautiful woman with very deep eyes, and making you happy just makes me happy."

Sakaki was still listening intently.

"But, I'm a computer nerd, with big thick glasses, a pale white complexion, and no muscle to speak of. I'm obsessed with video games, and to make matters worse, I'm often cruel to your friend, Tomo-chan!" Joe continued.

Not that I don't enjoy being cruel to Tomo, Joe thought.

Sakaki smiled.

"Well," Sakaki said. "You like cats, and I do to. But I guess the real reason is…I guess it's because…you called me cute."

"Huh?" Joe asked, slightly confused.

"All my life, I've wanted to be cute." Sakaki said. "All throughout my life, I was tall, athletic, and everybody called me cool, and I hated it."

Joe was now the intently listening one.

"You were the very first one to call me cute," Sakaki said, slightly blushing as she said it. "When I blush, you say I'm cute."

"And you know, I'm wrong," Joe said with a smile, "You're cute all the time."

This made Sakaki feel very happy inside.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Joe said. He sat up, picked up his laptop, opened up Microsoft Firefox, and went to a particular Website.

"Reminds you of what?" Sakaki asked.

"Hey, Sakaki-san, could you possibly bare your shoulders?" Joe asked.

"Uh…" Sakaki blushed in embarrassment.

"Just your shoulders. I want to see if this really works." Joe said.

Sakaki slowly pulled down the straps of her tank top. She was still slightly blushing in embarrassment.

I have to trust him. I mean, we are boyfriend and girlfriend, Sakaki thought.

Joe looked at Sakaki, who looked really tense.

She's still embarrassed about her sexuality, Joe thought.

Joe then turned himself to face Sakaki. Sakaki was sitting, facing off of the bed, so Joe had sight of her back.

Joe cracked his knuckles, took a deep breath, and then touched Sakaki's shoulders. Sakaki jumped slightly.

"Just relax, Sakaki-san. I'm not going to bite," Joe said.

Sakaki relaxed only a little bit, but having Joe's hands on her shoulders still made her a little nervous.

Joe then looked back at his computer screen, and began massaging Sakaki's shoulders.

Sakaki almost instantly relaxed. The massage…it felt…

"So, how does it feel?" Joe asked.

"Amazing," Sakaki said, in a completely relaxed tone.

Joe checked back on his computer screen, then moved up and began massaging Sakaki's temples gently with his middle fingers.

Sakaki closed her eyes. This was the most relaxed she had ever felt in her entire life.

Joe checked back on his computer screen, and then moved down to the neck.

"This is…from…the internet?" Sakaki asked. She was almost completely and totally relaxed.

"Yeah, found it while randomly searching one day," Joe said. "You can find anything on the Internet," he said with a laugh.

Sakaki chuckled slightly. Joe then put the straps of her tank top back on her shoulders, checked his computer screen again, and began massaging her arms.

After massaging her arms, Sakaki then laid down on the bed, face down.

"Does it say how to massage my back?" Sakaki asked.

Joe scrolled down the site.

"Yes, it does," Joe said. "Want me to?"

"Please," Sakaki said with a smile.

Joe checked his computer screen, and blushed.

"Um, Sakaki-san?" Joe said, "I need to have a completely bare back."

Sakaki sat back up, blushing slightly as she did, took off her tank top, laid back down on the bed face down, and undid her bra strap in the back, and then made sure to put her hands over the cup part (so Joe couldn't see anything)

Joe smiled, now that Sakaki finally put a bit more trust in him.

Joe double checked his computer screen, and then began massaging Sakaki's entire back.

About halfway down, it felt so good, and Sakaki felt so relaxed, that she just fell asleep.

Joe sighed when he heard Sakaki's deep breathing, and stopped.

"I'm just glad she finally trusts me a little more," Joe said to himself.

He stretched out, laid down on the bed next to Sakaki, and stared at her face.

She was smiling in her sleep.

Joe stared at the smiling, happy face of Sakaki's, and inside, felt happy and content himself.

He slowly drifted off into a deep slumber.

Mayaa, meanwhile, perked up, completely awake. He had been waiting for Joe and Sakaki to fall asleep.

Mayaa jumped off the bed, ran to the window, and pushed it open. He then jumped onto a tree branch that was by the window, jumped onto the ground, and ran off.

With the window open, a small breeze blew in, which made both Joe and Sakaki shiver slightly. They moved in and cuddled with each other for warmth.

…

Meanwhile, back at home

…

Chiyo was finishing her evening running when she stopped. Tomo was standing right in her path.

"Chiyo-chan, where did Sakaki and Joe go?" Tomo asked, with an open-mouth, closed-eyed smile.

"Um…" Chiyo said, touching the tips of her pointer fingers together, "They went out somewhere."

"Where exactly?" Tomo asked, still wearing that same smile on her face.

"Well, Joe-san took Sakaki-san out somewhere for her birthday…" Chiyo said.

Tomo took the opportunity to move up on Chiyo, and get her in the chokehold.

"I won't ask again. Where did they go?" Tomo asked, now wearing a very serious look on her face.

"ugh…" Chiyo said, trying to break Tomo's hold.

Tomo tightened her grip around Chiyo's throat.

"Where…did…they….go?" Tomo asked, and slightly lightened her grip on Chiyo's throat so she could speak.

"I'm…not…telling…" Chiyo said, trying as hard as she could to breath.

"Well, choking you obviously isn't working, so…" Tomo said with a grin.

Tomo grabbed Chiyo's right arm, bent it back, let Chiyo out of the chokehold, and pushed her to the ground.

Now she had Chiyo's face on the ground, and had Chiyo's right arm bent backward.

"Maybe this will work," Tomo said in an evil tone.

"OW! OW! OW!" Chiyo screamed, as Tomo bent her arm back further.

"Where are they?" Tomo said as she bent Chiyo's arm further.

"They…They're in Okinawa!!" Chiyo screamed.

Tomo instantly let go, and Chiyo grabbed hold of her own shoulder that Tomo had bent back.

"hehehe…With Joe that far away, I can enjoy torturing everybody for the next few days!" Tomo said with an evil laugh, and she ran off.

Oh, crap, I've got to stop her! OK, who would she run off to torture first? Chiyo thought.

Instant light bulb above head.

Yomi! Chiyo thought, and reached into her pocket for her cell phone.

"Where is it?!" Chiyo yelled, as she felt in her pocket, and couldn't find it. All she did find was a note with one word on it:

Yoink!

"Damn you, Tomo-chan!!" Chiyo screamed

…

Author's note: It should be noted here that Tomo didn't annoy or torture anybody that much with Joe around, due to the fact that he would often "punish" her for doing such things (see chapters 5, 10, and 22). Now with him gone, she's going to have all kinds of fun.

Oh, and many thanks to Wikipedia for giving me the information on Iriomote mating season.

Next Chapter: Tomo's day of fun

It's going to be hell for the Azu-girls.


	27. Tomo's day of fun

Tomo's day of fun

Note: This is a filler chapter, but an enjoying one ;)

…

Tomo spent the entire night getting things ready.

…

The next morning

…

Yomi was walking down the street (to keep her calories low) when an obese man walked up to her.

"Hey, baby, I love you!" The obese man said to Yomi.

Yomi ran away, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Tomo was rolling on the ground, laughing so hard that tears were rolling down her eyes.

Tomo had paid the guy 500 yen to do it (because he asked to be paid before he did it)

And Yomi's day, as well as everybody else's, was only going to get worse.

…

Meanwhile, back in Okinawa

…

Sakaki slightly woke up to find herself curled up in the arms of Joe. His warm body felt nice, and she almost fell back asleep.

But something slightly bothered her. And as soon as she realized what it was, she snapped awake, and her face turned a new shade of embarrassed red.

She had unsnapped her bra so that Joe could massage her back. During the night, she had cuddled up to Joe. The bra had remained where she had left it.

In short, she was cuddled up next to Joe's body, topless.

She would have to very carefully move herself without waking Joe up, or he would get full view of this, and Sakaki didn't know if she could handle that.

She very slowly moved herself, slowly moving Joe's arms that were curled around her. And (luckily) without waking Joe up, Sakaki got free.

She quickly put her bra and tank top back on, looked over to make sure that Joe was still sleeping, then grabbed a change of clothes and jumped into the shower.

While Sakaki was in the shower, Mayaa came back from her nighttime escapade, and curled up at the end of the bed, and quickly fell asleep.

It had been a long night for Mayaa.

…

And now, back at home

…

Yomi ran all the way to her house, slammed the door shut, and put her body up against the door.

Why would he say that, unless…! Yomi thought.

She took off her shoes and socks at the door, ran to her body mirror, and gasped.

She looked fat in the mirror. (Tomo had lock-picked her way into Yomi's house, and had switched the body mirror with one you usually find at a carnival to make her body look stretched out and fat)

Yomi then ran to the one thing that she thought would not lie. The scale.

She quickly ran in, and stepped on it.

Yomi gasped, and stood there stunned. She stepped off the scale, and sat down on the floor. She had tears running down her face.

"Yomi-san!!" Chiyo screamed, pounding on the front door.

Chiyo then spotted an open window, and jumped into Yomi's house.

Yomi-san!!" Chiyo screamed again, this time from inside the house.

"Go away, Chiyo-chan!" Yomi screamed from the bathroom. Yomi had now curled up.

"I can't! I have something important to tell you!" Chiyo said.

"What sort of thing would you want to tell to your obese friend?!" Yomi screamed

(Note: Yomi is referring to herself)

"You're not obese! Tomo's playing pranks!" Chiyo screamed, as she ran up the stairs.

"How could Tomo affect my weight?!" Yomi said, without even looking at Chiyo as Chiyo now stood behind her. "I've let myself go. I'm…I'm…fat!!" and she started crying into her knees.

Chiyo sighed. Joe had taught her the one thing to do when a woman has lost it, and won't listen to reason.

"Yomi-san!" Chiyo screamed.

Yomi looked back "I told you…"

SMACK!

Chiyo smacked Yomi across the cheek.

That particular moment stood frozen in time.

"C…Chiyo-chan…" Yomi said, stunned at what Chiyo had just done.

"Tomo is playing pranks." Chiyo repeated, "Now, what exactly did you do that made you think you were obese?"

"Well, a fat guy said he loved me…" Yomi started.

"Tomo probably paid him off," Chiyo said.

"And I looked into my mirror, and saw myself fat…" Yomi said.

Chiyo grabbed Yomi by the arm, and pulled her to the body mirror. Chiyo took one look in the mirror at herself, and motioned for Yomi to look.

"See? Do I look that fat to you?" Chiyo asked.

Yomi looked at Chiyo in the mirror, and Chiyo in real life a few times back and forth, and realized that the real life Chiyo was much skinnier.

"Then, the last thing was the scale…" Yomi said, now seeming to have more realization that she may just not be fat.

Chiyo went and stood on the scale. Yomi followed her into the bathroom.

"Do I look like I weigh 300 lbs to you?" Chiyo asked.

"N-No," Yomi said, now smiling.

So it had all been an evil trick by Tomo. Thank goodness, Yomi thought.

Chiyo now began walking downstairs, with Yomi following.

"We need to be extra cautious now that Joe's gone. He kept Tomo under control for a while," Chiyo said.

But as Chiyo stepped on the bottom step, two ropes that had been lying hidden suddenly flew up, caught Chiyo's pigtails, and pulled her to the ceiling.

"Argh!!" Chiyo screamed. "Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! It hurts!"

"Hahahahahahahaha!"

"I know that laugh…" Yomi said, her anger rising. "TOMO-CHAN!!"

She ran out the door, leaving Chiyo there.

"Yomi-san, wait, get me down!!" Chiyo screamed.

…

"TOMO!!" Yomi screamed, running with her arms outstretched, aiming for Tomo's neck.

Yomi's hands stopped a few millimeters from Tomo's neck. Yomi just couldn't quite reach.

"Problems, Yomi-san?" Tomo asked, with an evil smile.

Yomi's mistake had been running outside barefoot. Her feet had now been caught in something sticky.

"What the hell is this?!" Yomi screamed at Tomo.

"That would be super glue. You really need to watch where you step, Yomi-san." Tomo said, and walked away, laughing hard.

Within a few seconds of Tomo's laughter fading away, Kagura came running up to Yomi's house.

"Where is that Tomo?!" Kagura screamed.

"Apparently, she got you, too," Yomi said.

Kagura's hair color had changed from pure brown to a bleached blonde. (Imagine Kagura, with a dark tanned body, with bleached blonde hair. The hair sticks out like a sore thumb)

"I'll kill her!!" Kagura screamed. "She switched out my shampoo with hair dye!!"

"What about Heiko?" Yomi asked.

This made Kagura look away from Yomi, in both embarrassment and anger.

"He couldn't help," Kagura said, "He was laughing too hard."

"Hey, could you possibly help me out of this?" Yomi asked. "Tomo-chan super-glued my feet to the ground, and has Chiyo-chan hanging in my house by her pigtails."

After Kagura got Yomi unglued (through the use of nail polish remover), and they got Chiyo down from the ceiling (Kagura had to stand on Yomi's shoulders to get up that high), the three of them stood outside.

"Who would she hit next?" Yomi thought.

"Either Osaka-san, or Kaorin-san" Chiyo said.

"Well, we better run to Osaka's first, since it's closer," Kagura said.

…

Chiyo and Kagura both made it to Osaka's house, with Yomi panting behind. Way behind.

"You need to get more exercise," both Kagura and Chiyo said.

"I…hate…both…of…you…" Yomi gasped.

After Yomi had caught her breath, all three of them went up to Osaka's door and slowly opened it.

There stood poor Osaka, trying desperately to reach for a glass of water that Tomo had carefully set just out of Osaka's reach. Osaka had been handcuffed to her stair railing.

"Osaka-san, what happened?" Chiyo asked.

"uhg…uhg…" Osaka wheezed. It almost sounded like she couldn't talk.

Chiyo ran in, and gave Osaka the glass that was out of her reach. Osaka gulped it down.

"Thanks, Chiyo-chan," Osaka said. "Can I get another glass, please?"

"Sure," Chiyo said, and ran into Osaka's kitchen for another glass.

"What happened?" Yomi asked.

"Well, Tomo-chan came over, and I think she put (hic) something spicy in my food this morning, because my mouth (hic) and throat felt as if they were on fire," Osaka said. "Then (hic) she handcuffed my hand to the (hic) railing, and put that glass (hic) right on the table where I couldn't reach it. (hic)"

Chiyo came back with a much bigger glass, and handed it to Osaka, who drank it down.

Kagura took one look at the handcuff on Osaka's wrist.

"Um, Osaka-san," Kagura said "Did you know your hand is small enough to just pull it out of the handcuffs?"

Osaka looked back at the handcuffs. Kagura pulled Osaka back (so that the strain of the handcuffs was lessened), and then slipped Osaka's hand right out of the handcuff.

"Oh, heh heh, guess I didn't notice," Osaka said. Kagura sweat-dropped.

"That Tomo is on a rampage today," Yomi said.

Yomi's cell phone went off, and she answered it.

"Hello?" Yomi asked.

"Yomi-san?" Joe asked. "I can't seem to reach Chiyo-chan on her cell phone."

"Hey, Chiyo-chan, is your cell phone off?" Yomi asked Chiyo.

Chiyo looked slightly irritated. "No, Tomo-chan stole it"

"She says Tomo-chan stole it," Yomi said into the receiver "By the way, where are you?"

"Well…I'm in Okinawa with Sakaki-san for her birthday," Joe said. He didn't want to really tell anybody, but Yomi had sounded kind of irritated. "Why do you ask?"

"Because Tomo-chan is on a rampage, and you're the only one who seems to keep her under control," Yomi said.

"Ah! That reminds me of why I called you. Is anybody drinking my secret soda? I heard someone open a can," Joe said.

"You can hear your secret soda open all the way in Okinawa?" Yomi asked.

Then it hit her, as well as Chiyo and Kagura. Tomo was opening a can of Joe's secret soda.

"I have to let you go!" Yomi said in a panicked state, and then shut her cell phone.

"Tomo's…" Yomi said.

"I know! Let's go!" Chiyo said.

Kagura, Chiyo, and Yomi all ran out the door.

Osaka stood there, in a confused state.

"What did I just miss?" Osaka said. She shrugged her shoulders.

…

"Wait!!" Yomi said as reached the end of Osaka's block. "Where is Tomo opening Joe's soda?"

Kagura and Chiyo both stopped dead in their tracks. Then they snapped their fingers at the same time.

"Kaorin's house!!" They both said, and went running off again.

"Damn…it…" Yomi said, huffing and puffing to keep up with the two that were running down the street full speed.

…

Within 5 minutes, Kagura and Chiyo reached Kaorin's house.

"This is right near my house. Why would she pull something on me, and then come back here later?" Kagura asked.

"It's Tomo. We can't expect her to think ahead, unless it's to irritate someone." Chiyo said.

Kagura and Chiyo went into Kaorin's house, to find Tomo on the floor. She seemed completely stunned, with an expression on her face like she had just seen a ghost. On the table next to her was a completely empty soda can.

"What happened here?" Chiyo asked.

Her answer came flying from the air. Kaorin landed right in front of Kagura and Chiyo.

Kaorin immediately moved up, and kissed Kagura right on the lips.

Kagura eyes went wide, and she blushed slightly. She then felt a small buzz in the back of her head. As Kaorin let go, Kagura's entire body felt limp, and she fell to the floor, also completely stunned, now wearing the same facial expression as Tomo.

"Ah, that was great," Kaorin said. "Now, your turn," she said as she turned to Chiyo. Kaorin had an evil smile on her face.

Chiyo began backing up.

"Um, Kaorin-san, I'm really not into that sort of thing." Chiyo said.

"C'mon, it feels really good," Kaorin said.

Chiyo backed slowly out of Kaorin's doorway, as Kaorin edged closer.

At that moment, Yomi came huffing up.

"Chiyo-chan…you…guys…ditched…me…" Yomi said, trying to catch her breath.

Yomi then felt someone put their hands on her face, and lift it up. Kaorin made lip-contact with Yomi.

Yomi was caught completely off-guard. But she felt that same buzz in the back of her head, and when Kaorin let go, she fell to the ground, stunned and wearing the same facial expression as Tomo and Kagura.

"That was her first kiss," Kaorin said.

"Kaorin-san, please, get hold of yourself!" Chiyo said.

"C'mon, Chiyo-chan, you're the only one left" Kaorin said, now moving closer to Chiyo.

"Hey, have you seen Kagura?" Heiko yelled out in English, from down at his house.

What happened next, Chiyo couldn't explain. It was as if Kaorin turned from a kissing manic to a crazed psychopath, bent on killing everybody.

"YOU…WILL…DIE!!" Kaorin screamed, as she ran down the street, and lunged at Heiko. Her nails dug into Heiko's skin, right on his chest.

Heiko, almost unaffected by this, pulled Kaorin right off of himself by her collar, and now held her up in the air. Kaorin was now screaming, with her hands and feet kicking, like a child throwing a temper tantrum.

"ALL MEN MUST DIE!" Kaorin screamed.

That's when it hit Chiyo just what the effects of the super soda had on Kaorin. She made sure to remember so that she could tell Joe.

Then just as soon as it had started, Kaorin suddenly just stopped, and was now hanging limp.

"Let her go, Heiko. She's done now," Chiyo said in English to Heiko.

Heiko slowly put Kaorin down. Kaorin woke up.

"W-where am I?" Kaorin asked. She looked up at Heiko. "What happened?"

"You drank some of Joe's super soda," Chiyo said as she came walking up to Kaorin.

Kaorin gasped, as it came back to her.

"That's right! That damn Tomo gave it to me to try to make me feel better." Kaorin said, fuming.

"To make you feel better about what?" Chiyo asked.

Kaorin looked away. 

"I…was just…having a bad day," Kaorin said. She really had been crying heart fully about Sakaki.

…

Down about a block, Yomi sat up.

"My…head" Yomi said, putting one hand on her temple. "What the hell happened?"

Yomi gasped, as she remembered all of the day's events.

"Tomo!" she said, as she went running into Kaorin's house.

Kagura was sitting up, staring at the spot Tomo had been.

"She's gone already." Kagura said.

"What do you mean?" Yomi asked.

"Well, Chiyo and I came running into Kaorin's house, and Tomo was lying on the floor in a stunned state. Then Kaorin came flying down from the ceiling, and I don't remember much after that." Kagura said.

"Then Tomo-chan got away," Yomi said, slightly irritated.

"Yeah, but I think she's done for the day," Chiyo said as she walked in behind them.

"What do you mean?" Yomi asked.

Chiyo gave Yomi and Kagura the story of precisely what had happened to them, even including the juicy details.

"She…did what?" Kagura asked

"My…first kiss…" Yomi said, falling to her knees.

"Just tell your first love that she was drunk, and she caught you off guard," Chiyo said, trying to make Yomi feel better. "That should work."

"Arrgh!" Yomi screamed. "That damn Tomo!! I blame her for this incident."

…

Back at Tomo's house

…

Tomo was sitting on her bed.

"Man, what the hell happened to me?" Tomo said to herself. "I woke up in Kaorin's house, and all I remember is giving her the secret soda. Ah, oh well, at least I got to pull stuff on everybody today."

And when Joe and Sakaki return, I'll have their 'present' waiting for them, Tomo thought.

Tomo started laughing evilly.

…

Author's notes: Tomo is so damn evil in this chapter; it's not even funny. But at least that's one more Azu-girl that drank the secret soda. All that's left is Yomi, Kagura, and possibly Nyamo.

Believe it or not, I actually couldn't think up an effect for Kaorin until I was writing that part. I wanted it to have something to do with Sakaki, but Sakaki is in Okinawa at the time.

Next Chapter: Tomo's punishment


	28. Tomo's punishment

Tomo's punishment

Note: This first part is going to be more relationship stuff between Sakaki and Joe, so bear with me. (See Author's notes for more details)

Also, minor cussing (and one dirty word) is in this chapter. You have been warned.

In Okinawa, Day 3 (Final Day)

…

Joe sat on the bed while Sakaki took a shower.

Something was seriously bothering him. Sakaki seemed like she was pushing him away. He had caught on to it yesterday, but he could really tell last night, when Sakaki didn't want him to massage her shoulders again. To make it even more noticeable, she hadn't kissed him at all yesterday and even turned away when he tried.

Did something happen that I don't know about? I mean, I do roll around in my sleep, Joe thought.

Sakaki walked out of the bathroom. She looked over at him.

He smiled. Sakaki just walked over to her bag, and put her clothes away, without smiling at him.

Joe sighed, and decided to take action at that point.

"Sakaki-san, what's wrong?" Joe asked, as he stood up.

"Nothing," Sakaki said.

"Sakaki-san, I can tell something is wrong. Did I possibly do something while I was sleeping?" Joe asked.

"No, nothing," Sakaki said.

Joe bent down to eye level with Sakaki.

"Seriously, I can tell something is wrong. You keep pushing me away. Please, Sakaki-san," Joe said, as he put one hand on Sakaki's shoulder, "I don't want my first relationship to end like this."

Sakaki stared at her open bag, obviously thinking whether she should tell him or not.

Joe then grabbed both shoulders, turned Sakaki towards him, and hugged her tight.

"Please," Joe said with tears in his eyes, "I don't want it to end like this."

Sakaki sighed, and put one arm on Joe's back (the other was trapped in his hug grip).

"Seriously, nothing is wrong," Sakaki lied.

Joe got out of the hug. Tears were really in his eyes now, but he now had an angry look on his face.

"Sakaki-san, you don't trust me!" Joe said angrily. "I can tell something is wrong. I'm not getting any sort of love out of you!"

Sakaki looked away, and Joe calmed down a little bit.

"Sakaki-san, the one thing about being in a relationship is you've got to learn to trust each other. That's why I massaged you the other night. I was trying to build up trust. Now something must have happened while I was asleep that destroyed that trust. Please, tell me what it was, so that we can correct it, before it grows, and we break up." Joe took a deep breath as he finished his speech.

Sakaki now had tears in her eyes, and looked to be on the verge of crying.

"You really have no idea?" Sakaki asked.

"No, I don't have a clue," Joe said.

Sakaki looked into Joe's eyes, and then looked back down.

"Remember…" Sakaki started. This was going to be tough for her. "Remember when I asked you to massage my back, and I unclipped my…" Sakaki stopped.

"Bra strap?" Joe asked, listening intently.

Sakaki nodded and continued "Well, I had moved sometime in the night, and…it had remained in the spot where I had laid down…so, when I woke up, I was…" Sakaki stopped again. The memory was painful for her.

Rather than pushing her to finish the story, Joe waited for her. Pushing her would have turned her away again.

"It's OK," Joe said. "Finish when you're ready."

Sakaki looked into Joe's eyes. They looked understanding.

"I woke up next to you, topless" Sakaki said.

Joe's eyes widened, as he realized just how crushed Sakaki was. He pulled her close for a meaningful hug.

"It's OK, Sakaki-san," Joe said. "It's alright. You did well. I understand."

Sakaki cried into his shoulder, but it was happy crying. She felt so relieved that this was finally off of her chest, and that Joe had come to understand her position, and how she felt.

Trust restored, Joe thought.

Mayaa jumped back into the hotel room, and lay down on the bed, while Joe and Sakaki shared this emotional moment (meaning they didn't notice Mayaa was gone). Mayaa had had another great but tiring night.

Then Joe had an afterthought.

Wait, Sakaki was topless next to me, and I was asleep?! Dammit! he thought.

…

Joe and Sakaki (with Mayaa in Sakaki's arms) left the hotel. They felt even closer together than they had before, and were now walking out, with Joe having one arm around Sakaki.

…

(At the airport back home)

…

Upon arriving, they were greeted by Kaorin, Kagura, Yomi, Chiyo, and Osaka.

"Hey, guys," Joe said, feeling like today was going to be awesome. "Love what you've done with your hair, Kagura-san." (Kagura's hair was still a bleached blonde color)

"It's about time you got back." Kagura said, irritated. "Tomo has been driving us nuts!"

"So, where's Heiko?" Joe asked.

"He's staying in a hotel until my hair turns back to its natural color," Kagura said.

…

They all took taxis. Yomi and Chiyo rode with Joe and Sakaki, and informed them of Tomo's doings while they were gone.

Also, Chiyo informed Joe about the effects of the super soda on Kaorin, which Joe wrote down in his notebook.

"So, in short, we need your help to get even with Tomo," Yomi finished.

"Listen, guys. I'd love to, but I really want to spend the rest of the day with Sakaki-san." Joe said, as he put his notebook away, and got out of the taxi (they were already at his house).

Sakaki just smiled, as she got out with Joe. Chiyo got out of the passenger's seat, while Yomi got out of the opposite side. Joe paid the taxi driver and he drove off.

"C'mon, please. We can't let her get away with this." Yomi said, almost begging him.

"Look, unless she does something to really piss me off, I'm not going to help." Joe said, now slightly irritated with Yomi.

Joe walked up his small driveway, and noticed a wooden package in his walking path.

"I wonder who this is from?" Joe wondered as he opened the top.

A chicken came flying out of the package, which made Joe fall backwards in surprise.

"Who in the world would send me a chicken?" Joe asked.

"It's a rooster," Sakaki said.

"How in the world can you tell the gender of any animal by looks alone?" Joe asked.

"She's a vet. That's how," Kaorin said. Her taxi had come in, along with Osaka. Kagura paid off the taxi driver.

She still hates me, Joe thought with a sweat-drop.

Joe stood up and brushed himself off, as Kagura came up.

"So, what's the deal?" Kagura asked.

"Joe just got a rooster from someone," Yomi said.

With all of the Azu-girls now gathered in Joe's (small) front yard, Joe looked inside the package, and saw the note. His eyes flared up with anger.

"So, who's it from?" Yomi asked.

As if I didn't know, Yomi thought.

"Tomo-chan," Joe said, now obviously angry. "And she's getting it now."

"Why, what did she write in there?" Chiyo asked. The box was small enough for Chiyo to look inside, and read the letter (written in English) out loud to everybody:

Dear Joe,

You love cock

Signed,

Tomo

Joe's eye began twitching uncontrollably.

"Wait, I don't get it," Yomi said.

In fact, none of the other Azu-girls got it.

Obviously, the joke was lost in translation.

"Well, I'll explain later. In the meantime, I'm in on plotting revenge." Joe said.

"I thought you were going to spend the rest of the day with me…" Sakaki said, now slightly irritated herself.

"Um, Sakaki-san, there's one in here for you, too" Chiyo said. She brought the letter over to Sakaki, who read it (only to herself):

Sakaki,

I hate your cat, and I hope it gets run over in the street by a steamroller.

"So, what were you planning?" Sakaki asked in her cool voice, as she crumpled the paper in her hand in anger. Her facial expression also read anger.

"Some sort of inhumane torture, but I've kind of run out of ideas" Joe said.

"Then I have an idea," Chiyo said, with an evil smile.

"Heh heh, I'm so glad I taught you how to use your genius against other people," Joe said with a smile.

…

Tomo sat at home on her couch, smiling to herself.

"heh heh, only Joe probably got the insult in the package." Tomo said with an evil grin. "I'm willing to bet none of the girls go on the Internet all that much."

Tomo then brushed her teeth, and went to bed, smiling and chuckling all the way.

…

Tomo woke up.

She was tied to a chair, with duct tape around her mouth.

A blinding light turned on. Joe walked up, and pinched Tomo on the (face) cheek, so that it would hurt slightly.

"That's just to prove to you that this isn't a nightmare, this is real," Joe said.

As Tomo's eyes adjusted, she could see all of the Azu-girls (and Joe) standing in a line behind Yomi, who had her hands behind her back.

"So, Tomo-chan, thought you could get away with irritating us?" Chiyo said.

"Thanks to Chiyo-chan, we have the perfect torture method." Kagura said.

Yomi's hands came out from behind her back. She was holding a microphone.

Tomo's eyes went wide, and her pupils went small in fear.

Yomi started up a song on a portable karaoke machine.

Everybody pulled out earplugs. Joe pulled out a set of noise-cancelling headphones. Tomo was left to listen to it without protection.

Chiyo looked at Joe's headphones.

"Nerd," Chiyo said, looking at Joe's headphones.

"And proud of it, Chiyo-chan," Joe said with a smile.

Everybody put in (or on) their ear protection, as Yomi began to sing.

Tomo struggled as best as she could, but to no avail. Her own handcuffs that she had used on Osaka, ironically, had her hands chained behind the chair so she couldn't cover her ears.

…

After Yomi was done with one song, Joe pulled off his noise-cancelling headphones, and walked up to Tomo. Tears were streaming down Tomo's face, and blood was dripping from her ears.

"So, did we learn our lesson?" Joe asked, as he ripped the duct tape off of Tomo's mouth.

"OUCH!" Tomo yelled. "I'm sorry, just get me untied!"

"Good girl," Joe said.

"What?" Tomo said.

Joe sighed.

"We may need to have your ears checked by a doctor," Joe said as he untied Tomo, and used a skeleton key on Tomo's handcuffs.

"I…I can't hear anything. Just a ringing…" Tomo said. "Guys, I may be deaf!"

…

At a doctor's office (in the waiting room), where Tomo was taken

…

"Well, she's fine, but she's suffered major ear drum damage," the doctor said. "It may be a few days before she can hear anything again, and a few weeks before her hearing fully recovers."

When the doctor walked away, everybody looked over at Yomi.

"Geez, the volume wasn't even that high," Kagura said.

"No, in fact, it was kept kind of low," Joe said.

"You're singing seems to have gotten worse over the years," Chiyo said.

"Thanks for your support, guys" Yomi said, slightly peeved.

…

Tomo went to bed that night, but was unable to sleep. She now had Yomi's horrible singing stuck in her head.

Well, next time I'll remember not to piss off Joe or Chiyo. I can't believe how evil Chiyo has become, Tomo thought.

…

That night, Joe had a thought about the Mangekyo Sharingan.

"For the next 72 hours," Itachi said (in Joe's mind). "You will have to listen to Yomi sing."

"I wonder if Itachi ever gets any ideas like the one's I get for torture…" Joe thought, and chuckled to himself

…

Author's Notes: The first part is trying to show that Sakaki, even with a boyfriend, is still embarrassed about her sexuality. That was what I was trying to convey, anyway.

Full credit for the evil thing that Tomo did to Joe goes to Hadoukendude and his 4 swords misadventures 3 episode.  Chapter: The Murder of a Friend

And as a forenote, the next chapters are going to be almost all Joe and Sakaki, considering they are the only cat owners. The next chapter picks up the saga again.


	29. The Murder of a Friend

The Murder of a Friend

Note: There is not going to be much humor in these next few chapters. Sorry!

…

Joe sat waiting outside of the Yamamayaa Pet Hospital. It was now the Monday after returning from Okinawa. It was precisely 2 weeks until October 1st, and he still hadn't told Sakaki about his job. He had requested until October 1st off, so that he could spend as much time with Sakaki as possible.

Kaorin was the first to walk out. Joe had made sure to hide himself well, so that Kaorin couldn't see him.

Kaorin immediately sensed like she was being watched, but knew precisely who it was. It hurt every time to walk out of the office, it even hurt to come to work everyday. The fact that the cool Sakaki had chosen some computer nerd over her was just too much to handle.

"Hi, there, Kaorin-san" a voice said along the block that Kaorin was walking.

There, standing in her path, was Chihiro.

"Chiyo-chan tells me that you need some help," she said.

"Well, a little bit," Kaorin said, slightly teary-eyed.

She turned back, and Chihiro looked in that direction.

There stood Joe (now unhidden) while he met Sakaki, who had walked out of the vet office. They immediately met with a kiss.

"You really did like her in high school, didn't you?" Chihiro asked.

Kaorin nodded slightly, as she sniffled, and wiped away a tear that came down her face.

"Here's my business card," Chihiro said, as Kaorin took her card. "Set up an appointment sometime. I may be able to help." and she began walking away.

"Psychiatrist?!" Kaorin said as she read the card. "You think I need mental help?!"

Chihiro stopped, and looked back at Kaorin.

"Psychiatrists are not all about mental help. We can also help you with emotional pain that you may be going through" Chihiro said.

Chihiro walked away. Kaorin watched her walk away, and then intently looked at Chihiro's card in her hand.

Kaorin put the card in her pocket, and continued to walk home.

…

"So, Joe-san, you seem a bit troubled today," Sakaki said.

"Yeah, but I want to wait to tell you until we get to my house," Joe said. He thought it might be easier to tell Sakaki about his job there.

…

Joe and Sakaki walked up to Joe's house. Joe unlocked the door, opened it, and turned on the light.

Both Joe and Sakaki gasped at the scene before them.

There, right in the middle of a big pool of blood, was Neko-san.

And he was not breathing.

Sakaki ran up to Neko-san, kneeled down, and put her ear down to Neko-san's chest.

Joe slowly walked up to Neko-san, and kneeled down next to Sakaki, in complete and utter shock.

Sakaki slowly came back up, tears in her eyes.

"He's…gone…" Sakaki said.

Joe's fists clenched up, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"NEKO-SAAAAAAAN!!!" he screamed out, and he pounded the ground in anger.

Sakaki pulled him close, and Joe cried right into Sakaki's shoulder.

That particular moment seemed to carry on forever in Sakaki's mind.

…

"Do you want to hear what they've found?" Kotake asked Joe, standing in the doorway of Sakaki's house.

It was now Wednesday afternoon. Joe was staying over at Sakaki's house while the police looked into the murder of Neko-san. Sakaki was off at work.

"Give it to me bluntly," Joe said. "I hate it when police feel the need to sugarcoat things so I won't get mad."

Kotake took a deep breath, and began.

"He was viciously slaughtered. There were deep scratch marks all over his body. The thing that killed him was a direct slash to the throat." Kotake said.

A tear ran down Joe's face, but he let Kotake continue.

"All the police could find for clue's was these," Kotake said, as he held up a picture of a few cat prints that had been found in the mud.

"Those could be Neko-san's, or they could be Mayaa's" Joe said.

"Well, it's all we could find," Kotake finished.

"Thanks, Kotake-san" Joe said, as he walked into the house, and shut the door.

"He's taking it hard," Kotake said to himself, as he walked away.

…

Joe sat down on the couch, and Mayaa jumped up next to him. Joe began to pet Mayaa, but his mind flashed to Neko-san. He got up, and decided to go for a walk.

…

Joe was staring down at the sidewalk, his mind in a completely separate world.

He looked up at one point to see where he was, and noticed on the sidewalk, some muddy cat prints.

In fact, they were exactly like the ones that he had seen in the picture Kotake had showed him.

Why Joe followed those prints, he'll never know. His mind told him that Neko-san was dead, but his heart told him that he might still be alive.

He raced around curbs, following these tracks, to a point that he would only recognize later as the same point that he and Sakaki were attacked by cats before Sakaki was arrested (A giant concrete wall to the right of him).

It was at that point that the tracks merely stopped. No fading at all. Just stopped.

Joe stood there for a moment, taking in this information. He looked around, and sighed.

I guess I just don't want to accept the truth, Joe thought, as he began walking back the way he came.

He then heard something land behind him. He whipped around, and saw nothing. He looked down, and saw Kamineko standing there, with his bear-trap teeth bared.

"I'm really not in the mood for your antics today," Joe said, with an irritated tone and look on his face.

Kamineko took one step back, then another. Joe saw that his paws were also muddy, but the thing that made Joe gasp was not Kamineko's paws, but his paw prints.

They were an exact, precise match to the one's he had followed.

Joe felt his anger and his rage boil over once again. But this time they were also mixed with a little confusion.

"You killed Neko-san?!" Joe asked angrily, "Why, why would you do that?! WHY!?!"

Kamineko just went "keh keh keh" (which sounded something like menacing laughter)

Joe tried to kick Kamineko, but Kamineko jumped back and easily avoided the kick.

Joe chased after Kamineko with a fury of kicks and punches, all of which Kamineko easily dodged.

At one point, Kamineko jumped back, and made the summoning noise. Instantly, cats surrounded Joe once again.

"Fine!" Joe yelled angrily. "You all want to take me on, I'll kill you all!!"

And that's when the fury began.

To explain this part of the battle: Four cats would jump at Joe. Three of them would get kicked or punched away. The one that did make it through would put one new scratch on Joe, whether it be on his legs, on his arms, or on his face, one even putting a big one across the top of his forehead. This continued for about a minute, though it felt longer to Joe.

Joe would also remember later not feeling any of the pain, due to his anger and rage for the death of Neko-san driving him.

Kamineko, meanwhile, sat outside the brawl, just sitting there (mouth closed) watching this go on. After about a minute, three cats came up on Kamineko. One to his right, one to his left, and one behind him, and they took the same sitting position Kamineko had.

The three cats were completely black, with dark green eyes (and those slit cat pupils).

Kamineko signaled to one of them.

The black cat to Kamineko's left took off straight at the brawl. He weaved through the group of cats, and jumped right at the precise moment.

At that moment, Joe kicked away one (regular) cat, and punched away two more cats(regular as well). His left leg was used to hold up his weight.

The black cat unveiled his claws. They were far longer than any of the normal cat's claws.

He scratched right on the back of Joe's left leg, and made a huge slash across it. Blood immediately came gushing out.

Now Joe felt pain. He fell flat on his face as all the strength instantly drained away from his left leg.

But the black cat was not done. He caught himself on the wall, pushed off, and slashed the back of Joe's right leg as well.

Joe let out a scream of pain. He looked back to see that the sidewalk was already covered with his blood, and the cats were closing in.

…

The black cat that had slashed the back of Joe's legs now took his original place next to Kamineko. Kamineko was now wearing his bear-trap grin again.

…

The cats were closing in. Joe let out what he thought to be the last tear of his life.

I'm sorry, Neko-san. I guess I just couldn't avenge you, Joe thought.

The cats bared their teeth, unsheathed their claws, and were about to leap.

A flash jumped right in front of Joe, that made him look.

There stood an Iriomote cat.

…

Kamineko, teeth still bared, now looked unhappy.

…

The cats were not afraid of the Iriomote. They had to deal with Mayaa before, this one would be no different.

Or so they thought.

The Iriomote let off its battle aura. The aura, though weaker, was much more concentrated than Mayaa's was.

The cats all backed off slightly. They didn't scatter, but none of them wanted to attack, either.

Kamineko now felt rage himself. He stood up (along with his three black cats) and was ready to attack.

The black cat to his left signaled to Kamineko that something was coming. Kamineko looked to his left, and saw an animal control vehicle coming that way.

Kamineko let out a loud "rharh" that made the entire group of cats scatter. He and his three black cats also jumped away.

The Iriomote noticed that animal control was coming, and jumped away as well.

Joe, having witnessed all of this, now passed out from loss of blood.

…

Joe woke up in a hospital bed next to Sakaki, who had her head turned the other way (so he couldn't see her face)

"Sakaki-san," Joe called out.

Sakaki turned so that Joe could see her face. She had the face of Kamineko.

"rharh!" it said.

…

Joe snapped awake and sat up, sweating heavily and breathing hard. He was in a hospital bed, but this time Sakaki had her face turned toward him, so he could see it was Sakaki's face. (Sakaki was sleeping)

Joe lay back down.

"What a nightmare," he said. He then looked at his arms. They had scratches all over them.

"Well, Joe-san, that was something you got yourself into," Chiyo said as she walked in.

"Chiyo-chan, you're here too?" Joe asked.

"Sure, I got myself a job here. I'm an official doctor now!" Chiyo said, happy at her own success.

"Glad to see one of us has a ray of sunshine in their life," Joe said.

"Hey, consider yourself lucky. Had animal control not gone by, you'd be dead!" Chiyo said.

Joe sighed.

"Anyway, the scratches on most of your body are minor and will heal within a few days. The scratches on the back of your legs, however, may take a few weeks to heal completely. You'll have to have bandages over those for the next few days." Chiyo explained.

"How long have I been out?" Joe asked, feeling slightly light-headed.

"A few hours. Sakaki-san called me when you weren't outside waiting for her like usual. But I couldn't call her back until after you got out of the emergency room, which made her worry even more," Chiyo explained. "What happened to you anyway?"

"I was attacked by cats," Joe said, looking out the window.

"Why would cats attack you?" Chiyo asked. "I thought they only attacked Sakaki-san"

"Kamineko murdered Neko-san," Joe said in a monotone voice, almost as if he didn't care anymore. "I tried to kill him, and he got his army of cats to attack me. I was defending myself pretty well, but then one of them got me good in the back of the legs."

"Kamineko is involved in this?!" Chiyo said. "There have been multiple cat attacks with him involved over the past few years. I need to tell the police about this!" and she began to run out.

"Chiyo-chan!" Joe yelled. Chiyo stopped.

"I may know of a way to capture Kamineko, as well as his entire cat army, if the police are interested." Joe said.

"How?!" Chiyo asked. "Not in your condition, you don't!"

"Which is why I need the sheer numbers that the police have. Don't worry, I won't injure myself anymore," Joe said.

Chiyo contemplated for a minute.

"Fine, I'll let them know," Chiyo said, and she ran out to call the police.

Sakaki woke up later, and she and Joe shared a very heartfelt moment.

…

Two days later (Now Friday, and Joe still hasn't told Sakaki about his job)

…

Joe sat right where the cats had attacked him, with his back against the wall. Sakaki was sitting right next to him. Joe's scratches on his head, arms, and legs were all visible. The big one's on the back of his legs were covered by giant bandages.

"Are you sure about this?" Sakaki asked.

"Dead sure," Joe said. "He'll come."

Sure enough, as soon as he finished his sentence, Kamineko came walking around the corner, and slowly walked up to Sakaki.

Sakaki slowly reached out to pet him, but Joe grabbed her other shoulder.

"Don't do it," Joe said. "You know the outcome."

Sakaki pulled back, slightly disappointed.

Kamineko began walking away, also slightly irritated that he didn't get to bite Sakaki.

"Hey, Kamineko!" Joe called out, and Kamineko looked back at him.

"Your mother was a dog," Joe said.

"Joe-san!" Sakaki said, utterly surprised at this insult.

Kamineko didn't even think, he was so angry. He immediately called out his cat army, and told them to leap all at once.

"Now!!" Joe said into his hidden microphone.

Instantly, millions of tranquilizer darts seemed to come out of nowhere. Kamineko barely managed to dodge the ones intended for him, and he ran off.

…

After the shootout was over

…

"Thanks to you, we finally have these cats off the streets. It's only a matter of time before we catch Kamineko," Kotake said.

"No," Joe said. "The one thing I do remember about that day was Kamineko had three black cats with him, almost like they were his guards. I didn't see any black cats in that army."

"Well, just make sure to watch yourself, then," Kotake said. He then got into a cop car and drove off.

Joe and Sakaki stood there. The wind blew Sakaki's long hair. They both knew they had a big battle with Kamineko coming.

…

Author's notes: Kamineko's "rharh" refers to that noise that he always makes before biting down on Sakaki's hand in the anime series. I tried to put it down in text, and failed miserably.

Next Chapter: Kamineko attacks.


	30. Kamineko attacks!

Kamineko attacks

…

It was now Saturday morning, and Joe sat in his futon, trying to think of how to tell Sakaki about his job. He still hadn't done so, and the fact that he had helped those cats get tranquilized (even though he tried to explain to Sakaki that now they were going to have homes) had made her slightly mad at him.

…

Flashback to earlier that morning

…

"Good Morning, Sakaki-san," Joe said with a smile.

"Hm!" Sakaki said with an angry look, as she walked into the bathroom.

OK, 'slightly' was an understatement.

…

Out of flashback

…

Joe sighed. He was never going to get Sakaki out of the mood she was in. Plus, he kind of wanted a cat of his own, but didn't think that any of the cats he had helped capture were going to find him a likable owner.

He felt a breeze come in from behind him, and decided to close the window.

He sat up, turned around, and that's when he saw it.

That same Iriomote that had saved him the day the cats attacked.

Joe and the Iriomote sat there for a moment, eyes locked. Then the Iriomote fell over.

Joe quickly crawled over to the Iriomote, and stroked it. He then looked at his hand.

No blood. Joe breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sakaki-san!" Joe yelled. "We have an emergency!"

Sakaki came running in, and saw the Iriomote lying there.

"It's the same Iriomote from the island!" Sakaki said.

"What's it doing here?" Joe asked.

Sakaki went over and picked it up.

"I don't know, but we should make sure it's OK," Sakaki said.

Joe nodded his head.

At least she's not angry with me anymore, Joe thought.

"By the way," Sakaki said as she stood up. "I'm still mad at you"

Joe's eye twitched. He also stood up to leave.

…

As they left the room, Mayaa was standing there in defensive mode.

Mayaa was staring at Kamineko and the three black cats, who had somehow worked their way into Sakaki's home.

Joe now also stood in his defensive position.

"Sakaki-san, go back into the room, and wait for me to give the all clear," Joe said.

"No way!" Sakaki said angrily. "What are you going to do, tranquilize them too?"

"Sakaki-san, now is not the time!" Joe said.

"Fine, then!" Sakaki then handed the Iriomote off to Joe. "You take care of it!"

"Sakaki-san!" Joe yelled, and then he saw the anger in Sakaki's eyes. Something that's only seen once in a blue moon, but should never be taken lightly.

Joe sighed. "Fine, then," Joe said, and he walked back into the room, and closed the door.

Kamineko snickered. He then signaled, and the three black cats jumped at Sakaki.

…

Meanwhile, Joe lay in the room on his futon with a passed out Iriomote next to him.

"What is it with Sakaki-san?" Joe asked the passed out Iriomote. "It's not like I tortured the cats, I just got them off the street. So, why does she need to be so angry with me? Argh! I never thought I would find myself having this talk with something passed out!"

A large scratch was heard on the door, which made Joe sit up.

Even though I'm mad at her, I hope she's OK, Joe thought.

…

Sakaki managed to dodge the one black cat that came streaming by her, as the cat's claws scratched the door.

Another cat came at Sakaki, which made her jump out of the way again.

The third one that came at her tried to hit her from the side, so Sakaki jumped back into the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Kamineko and Mayaa stood there, staring each other down (Kamineko bearing his ever-famous smile). Suddenly, Black cat 1 came in on a surprise attack from the side, and hit Mayaa broadside. Kamineko took the opportunity to jump away into the kitchen, where Sakaki was.

…

Why are they attacking me? Sakaki thought. She had been backed up against the kitchen sink.

Black Cat 2 walked to the left side of Sakaki, while Black Cat 3 stayed in his spot.

Kamineko came walking into the kitchen, and Black Cat three came walking to other side of Sakaki, and jumped up on the counter.

Kamineko signaled.

Black Cat 2 charged and jumped at Sakaki, claws extended. Sakaki bent back to avoid being scratched. Black Cat 3 jumped quickly to behind Sakaki, and hit her in the back, knocking her down.

Then, while Sakaki was on the ground, Black Cat 3 jumped up, and unsheathed its claws. As it landed, it landed right on Sakaki's back, and sank its claws in, so that Sakaki now couldn't move.

Kamineko menacingly walked up to Sakaki.

"Why…?" Sakaki asked. "Why are you doing this?"

Kamineko just smiled his bear-trap smile. He then walked up to Sakaki's hand, and bit down hard enough to draw blood.

Sakaki winced in pain, but couldn't do anything. The black cat on her back had his claws sank in to what must have been a perfect spot, because she couldn't move, no matter how hard she tried.

Kamineko walked over to the other hand, and bit down just as hard.

Sakaki now had a tear running down her face from the pain, now coming from both her hands.

"Joe-san!!" Sakaki screamed.

…

Joe had heard it. Sakaki screamed for him.

He reached into his bag that he had gotten from his house two days ago, and pulled out his own tranquilizer gun.

"4 shots," Joe said as he checked his ammunition. "Just enough. I have to make each shot count."

Joe opened the door, and saw it. Black Cat 1 (who had hit Mayaa broadside) was almost trying to limp over to the kitchen.

Obviously, he had lost a fight.

Joe shot the cat with his tranquilizer gun, and easily knocked it out.

"One down," Joe said with a sigh.

…

Kamineko turned around to see Mayaa standing there. Mayaa seemed in no way tired whatsoever from his fight with Black Cat 1.

"Mayaa…." Sakaki said.

Kamineko signaled to Black Cat 2. Black Cat 2 charged at Mayaa.

Mayaa jumped back into the living room, and the Black Cat landed (in the kitchen), and jumped at Mayaa again, then was knocked aside by something that hit him as he left the kitchen and reached the living room.

…

The black cat fell to the ground in the living room as the tranquilizer dart hit him broadside.

And people told me that those first-person shooters I played as a kid would never pay off, Joe thought with a smile.

He nodded to Mayaa, and Mayaa then walked back into the kitchen.

Kamineko now stood there, staring at Mayaa, who stared back.

Kamineko and Mayaa jumped at each other at the same time.

SHING!

Both cats now stood where the other had previously been.

Mayaa smiled.

Kamineko could feel his rage boil as his leg bled from a fresh wound.

Mayaa then jumped at Black Cat 3, who unsheathed his claws, and jumped out of the way.

Sakaki could now move, and had waited for this moment. She grabbed Black Cat 3 by the legs, and threw it right at Kamineko.

Kamineko jumped out of the way of the flying black cat. Black Cat 3 landed (on his feet) in the living room, and then was knocked out.

Kamineko looked back, and noticed the tranquilizer dart in Black Cat 3.

What Kamineko didn't calculate was Mayaa attacking at that point.

Mayaa head-butted Kamineko, who flinched, and slid back. Mayaa then hit Kamineko in the chin with his paw. Kamineko was now airborne, and flying into the living room.

It was at that point that Kamineko saw it. Joe standing there, his tranquilizer gun aimed at Kamineko, with a murderous look seen even through his glasses. Joe fired, and hit Kamineko right in between the eyes.

Kamineko hit the ground, without catching himself (like cats are supposed to). Kamineko had been fully sedated.

…

A few minutes later

…

Sakaki lifted herself up, wincing from the pain when she had to use her hands.

Joe came walking in, with Sakaki's first aid kit.

Joe and Sakaki stood there, both of them looking angry at each other.

Sakaki's face was the first to lessen. She hugged Joe.

"I'm sorry," she said. "You were only trying to help people who had been attacked by them, without hurting the cats, and I was just angry at you for taking away the cats I enjoyed chasing during my school years."

Joe's face also lessened as he hugged back.

"I'm sorry, too," Joe said. "I guess I just didn't look at things from your point of view. You love cats, and didn't ever want to see them hurt."

Joe and Sakaki let go of each other.

"Make-up?" Joe asked.

"Made-up" Sakaki said.

And they both shared a very romantic kiss.

…

Afterward, Sakaki bandaged up her hands, Joe checked Sakaki's back (which was fine), and Joe called the cops. The police took Kamineko, as well as the three black cats away.

Then Joe and Sakaki ran to the Yamamayaa pet hospital to treat the Iriomote that had come in through Sakaki's window.

…

At Yamamayaa Pet Hospital

…

"Well," Sakaki said after coming out of checking the animal. "She seems fine. But there is one thing we checked."

"And that would be?" Joe asked, who had been forced to wait in the waiting room.

Sakaki smiled.

"She's pregnant." Sakaki said.

"Really?!" Joe asked. "Any idea who the father might be?"

"It's just a guess, but considering it was the same Iriomote we saw on the island, I would say, Mayaa is the father." Sakaki said. "Because it's not even noticeable that she's pregnant right now, which means she's less than two weeks along."

"More than two weeks makes it noticeable?" Joe asked.

"Well, sure. Iriomote cats give birth after about 2 months." Sakaki said.

Two months would make it somewhere near the end of November, which means…Wait, my job! I still need to tell Sakaki about my job! Joe thought.

"So, would you like to name the cat?" Sakaki asked.

"Huh?" Joe asked.

"Well, you found it. Would you like to name it?" Sakaki asked.

Joe thought for a minute. He then smiled when he got a name.

"How about Yama?" Joe asked.

Sakaki laughed at this.

"Yama and Mayaa. Perfect." Sakaki said, and she walked back in to complete the checkup of Yama.

Joe went over and sat back down. He felt like his day had been salvaged. Now all he had to do was tell Sakaki about his job.

…

In a pound at an unknown location

…

Two officers were standing in front of the cage with the sedated Kamineko.

"Here's everything I pulled up on this cat," Cop 1 said, as he handed Cop 2 a folder. "Tell me, does the woman in the picture look in any way familiar to you?"

Cop 2 opened the folder, and looked at the picture of a man standing next to a woman outside Kamineko's house.

"Yes, she does. In fact, she looks exactly like the woman that owns the Iriomote cat!" Cop 2 said.

"Which is probably why this cat attacked her. Those two look exactly alike, except for the eyes." Cop 1 said.

Cop 2 looked closer at the picture to see what Cop 1 was talking about.

"This woman's eyes. They have the look of pure malice in them." Cop 2 said.

"I know. They say that those two were conducting illegal genetic experiments on cats for years, but nobody could ever prove it. Then when we finally could, they disappeared without a trace." Cop 1 said.

"So, all of the malice that this cat had toward her owner must have been taken out on that poor girl with the Iriomote for all those years." Cop 2 said.

Kamineko began to stir.

"I better go get the tranquilizer," Cop 1 said.

But he would never get the chance.

Kamineko only felt rage. Rage toward Sakaki, rage toward Joe, but especially rage toward Mayaa, who had beaten him so easily.

The sedative in the tranquilizer gun began reacting with Kamineko's DNA, and changed it.

"Rhrarrrhhhh!" Kamineko screamed, which echoed throughout the pound.

"What the…?" Cop 2 said.

A bright flash came out of Kamineko's kennel.

BOOM!!

Then the kennel door burst off, and crashed on the other side of the wall.

"Get the tranquilizer!" Cop 2 screamed.

Something jumped out of the smoke that was by where the kennel door had been, and hit Cop 1 square in the face, then jumping and hitting Cop 2 square in the face.

Cop 1 was knocked against the wall and was knocked unconscious. Cop 2 hit the "exit" door, knocking it open, and knocking him out.

Kamineko now stepped outside. His fur had turned a bright yellow, and his eyes had turned a slightly light green.

And he longed for revenge.

Announcer: Uh oh! It seems Kamineko has transformed, and is now on the hunt for Joe, Sakaki, and Mayaa! And with this newfound power, it sounds like trouble for our heroes! What will happen next? Find out in the next exciting chapter of Azumanga Daioh Z!

…

Author's notes: Super Kamineko?! As if regular Kamineko wasn't bad enough to begin with!

A bad DBZ rip on my part, I know ;)

Next Chapter: Super Kamineko!


	31. Super Kamineko!  End Cat Saga

Super Kamineko! End Cat Saga.

Warning: Long Chapter

…

(After coming home with Yama from the pet hospital)

…

Sakaki and Joe walked in the door of Sakaki's apartment. Sakaki sat Yama down on the couch, and then Mayaa immediately came running in, and sat down right next to Yama, who was napping. Mayaa licked Yama's head (as if cleaning her).

Sakaki sat down on the couch next to the two cats. Joe, however, stood in front of Sakaki, with something on his mind.

"Sakaki-san…" Joe said. "I have something to tell you."

Sakaki looked at Joe, listening intently.

Joe immediately hugged Sakaki.

"My job is going to tear me away from you," Joe said, with a tear in his eye.

"Huh?" Sakaki asked.

"Sakaki," Joe began, pulling back to make eye-contact, "I'm a freelance game programmer. That means that whenever gaming companies need additional assistance, they call me to help, and it costs more to employee me than it does regular game programmers. This means that most of the time, I rarely ever get any work. But throughout the months of October, November, and most of December, I will get a lot of work, because many game companies need to push for their games to reach the markets in time for Christmas."

Joe took a deep breath, for this was going to be the hard part.

"Basically meaning, I have to leave for work really early in the morning, I won't leave work until late at night, and you'll rarely ever see me during those months."

Sakaki sat there, taking in all this information. She looked away, as if to think.

"And…after all those months of working?" Sakaki asked.

"I'll have a huge stockpile of cash again, and I'll be right back by your side." Joe said.

Sakaki smiled and looked back at Joe.

"Then I'll be waiting for your return. So, what about this last week and a half to October?" Sakaki asked.

"I've got it off, so I could spend it with you." Joe said with a smile.

The atmosphere was romantic, and Joe and Sakaki began leaning in closer…when Joe's cell phone went off, and the both stopped.

Son of a flashback, Joe thought. "Hello?" He said as he answered his cell phone.

"Bad news, kid," Kotake said. "Kamineko escaped from the pound we were holding him at."

"Your kidding!" Joe said, as he stood up.

It was at that point that Mayaa also stood up, and growled at something on the ceiling.

Both Joe and Sakaki looked up, to see Kamineko, stuck to the ceiling, with that ever-famous grin on his face.

Both of them got the look of pure fear in their eyes.

"Kotake, you remember where Sakaki's house is?" Joe said into his cell phone.

"Yeah, why?" Kotake asked.

"Because Kamineko is here," Joe said.

Kamineko disappeared off the ceiling, and appeared right behind the couch that Sakaki, Yama, and Mayaa were on.

Joe stood there, frozen, as the top of his cell phone fell to the ground, completely sliced off.

Mayaa jumped off the couch, and whipped around. Joe whipped around as well, and dropped the rest of his cell phone. Sakaki grabbed Yama in her arms, and ran to the opposite wall.

The new Kamineko jumped up on top of the couch. He stared at the four targets in front of him, and decided on the first.

He vanished again.

Joe felt the huge force hit him square in the cheek, knocking him against the wall. He slid down, and was now on his butt.

Kamineko landed straight downward from where Joe's cheek had been. Mayaa went to make a move, but Super Kamineko was just too fast. He head-butted Mayaa, which sent Mayaa right against the opposite wall Joe had hit. Mayaa fell to the floor.

Mayaa then began to stand up.

"Mayaa, no!" Joe screamed.

Too late.

Mayaa stood up right into the mouth of Kamineko. Kamineko then chomped down hard on Mayaa's neck.

"Mayaa!!" Sakaki screamed.

Mayaa stood there with a look of horror on his face, as a drop of blood fell to the carpet where Kamineko had bitten down. Mayaa's eyes then closed, and Kamineko let go. Mayaa fell to the ground again, this time unconscious.

Joe stood up.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to use this," Joe said, as he pulled one of his super sodas out of his pocket.

Sakaki took the opportunity to run into her room to put Yama down.

But Kamineko had vanished again, and now stood on the arm that held Joe's super soda.

Kamineko swiped the super soda right out of Joe's hand, and knocked it all the way into the kitchen. The surprising thing was that the soda didn't explode as it hit the ground, and rolled to a stop on the fridge.

Kamineko then jumped up again, and hit Joe in the same cheek he had hit the first time.

Joe went into the wall, and Kamineko landed, jumped again, and rammed himself right into Joe's stomach.

Joe curled up from the pain to his stomach. He looked up to see himself face-to-face with Kamineko.

Joe threw an unexpected punch.

Joe, curled up from the hit to his stomach, had and the look of terror and surprise on his face.

Kamineko had caught Joe's punch in his mouth, and had chomped down on his hand.

Kamineko then whipped around, and with other-worldly strength, flipped Joe over himself (referring to Kamineko), and Joe landed hard on his back.

Joe was knocked out, and Kamineko let go of his hand.

…

Sakaki put Yama down on her futon. The pregnant Yama still was curled up, although now she was awake. Even though she was only about a week pregnant, she still felt very tired.

Sakaki stood up, turned around, and gasped.

Kamineko stood in the doorway.

"Why…?" Sakaki asked. "Why do you do this?"

Sakaki now had tears running down her face.

"WHY?!?"

Kamineko never answered. He disappeared.

Sakaki was hit hard in the back of the head, knocking her down, face-first, right into the ground.

Sakaki started to get back up, but found herself face-to-face with Kamineko. And he had his right paw raised.

Sakaki lay there, her eyes wide, and her pupils small.

Kamineko unsheathed his claws.

Sakaki closed her eyes, and braced herself for the pain.

Kamineko raked across the left side of Sakaki's face. The scratches went deep, and bled instantly.

Sakaki put her hands on her face, and yelled out loudly in pain.

…

About three blocks down

…

"Wow, Chiyo-chan, you've really been running, haven't you?" Kagura said. "You're even keeping up with me."

Kagura still had dyed-blonde hair, but now she had some brown roots showing.

"I know, I've really been trying to speed myself up." Chiyo said.

The both heard a scream that sounded faint.

"That sounds like Sakaki-san!" Chiyo said.

"She may be in trouble!" Kagura said. "Quick, let's go!"

…

Kaorin, all the way at her house, heard the scream of her beloved Sakaki.

She gasped. Deep down in her heart, she knew she could do nothing to help Sakaki.

Her heart hurt again.

She pulled out the card, and decided to give Chihiro a call.

…

Joe snapped awake from Sakaki's scream, and stood up. The pain from Kamineko's attacks were no longer being felt.

All that was on his mind was reaching the fridge, where his super soda had rolled.

…

Sakaki pulled her hands back from her face, and saw that her hands were already soaked in blood. She began to feel light-headed and dizzy.

Her world spun around, she lost consciousness, and her head fell to the ground with a 'Thunk!' (she landed on the side of her face without the scratches)

Kamineko sounded like he was snickering.

He jumped over Sakaki, and noticed Yama had moved herself to the corner. The only one to be too afraid to actually stand up to Kamineko, she stood there, shivering, with a look of fear in her eyes.

Kamineko started to move in, and then saw some movement out of the corner of his eyes.

…

Joe made a mad dash toward the super soda. He bent down, grabbed it, and was about to open it up, when it was kicked out of his hands, and flew toward the front door.

Joe was then hit in the front of the face, knocking him back, and his back hit the kitchen counter hard.

Joe fell to the floor, now in complete and total pain, with Kamineko standing face-to-face with him again. He had his bear-trap teeth bared, but this time didn't look happy.

"Sakaki-san!" Chiyo screamed, as both her and Kagura burst in through the door.

Kagura and Chiyo stood there, staring at Super Kamineko with their mouths open. Kamineko stood there, staring back.

"Guys! Run!!" Joe screamed.

Kamineko quickly looked back, and hit Joe square in the chin with his paw (claws away). Joe was now standing back up, but only because Kamineko hit him so hard.

But the one thing Joe realized all too late, was that his back was now right against the kitchen counter.

Kamineko hit his stomach, right at the point where his back was against the counter.

The pain was unimaginable. It was so overwhelming, that Joe couldn't even let out a scream, although his face showed he wanted to. He fell to the floor, unconscious.

Chiyo and Kagura stood there, both in just utter shock and awe, at what Super Kamineko had done in an instant to Joe.

Chiyo noticed the can of super soda at their feet, and picked it up. She then pushed Kagura outside, and closed the door.

"Kagura-san!" Chiyo said as she handed Kagura the super soda. "Drink this and hope it works out!"

…

Kamineko, meanwhile, decided that Chiyo and Kagura were not targets (they hadn't done anything to him), and decided to resume his attack on Yama. He walked out of the kitchen (where the unconscious Joe lay), walked through the living room (where the bleeding unconscious Mayaa lay), and walked into the room where Yama was (where the bleeding unconscious Sakaki lay).

Yama still sat curled up in the corner, now even more fearful than she was before.

Joe snapped awake. He had heard a can of his super soda open. But he couldn't move. The pain from his abdomen and back were unbearable.

Chiyo and Kagura came bursting in through the door. Chiyo ran to check on Joe.

"OK, Kamineko!" Kagura said. "Your next opponent is me!"

…

"Joe-san, are you OK?" Chiyo asked.

"Who…drank my soda?" Joe asked, wincing from the pain in his abdomen and back.

"Kagura-san," Chiyo said.

"Chiyo-chan…you guys don't stand a chance. He's…too powerful." Joe said.

Chiyo just looked at Kagura.

"That's why I'm hoping something good happens with Kagura-san," Chiyo said.

…

Kagura stood there, ready to fight against Kamineko.

Kamineko took one look at Kagura, didn't see a threat, turned around, and proceeded to once again move in on the scared Yama.

"Hey, didn't you hear me?! I said your next fight was with me!" Kagura screamed at Kamineko.

Kamineko vanished, and hit Kagura square in the stomach.

Although Kagura fell back from the force of the attack, she felt no pain at all.

She grabbed Kamineko by the scruff of the neck from her stomach.

"Kagura-san, are you OK?!" Chiyo asked.

"Fine. In fact, that didn't hurt at all." Kagura said, surprised.

Kamineko was getting mad. He unsheathed his claws in his left paw, and proceeded to rake across Kagura's face.

Kagura felt nothing at all. In fact, her face wasn't even scratched.

Kamineko checked the claws in his left paw to see that they were completely scratched down to nothing.

"Heh heh, ow" Joe said. "Seems like…her effect is…invincibility."

"Well then," Kagura said with a smile, "let's send this cat away." And she walked outside to knock Kamineko away.

Kamineko got desparate, unsheathed the claws from his right paw, and raked Kagura across the face, so that the middle claw would rake right across both of her eyeballs.

But once again, Kagura wasn't scratched in any way whatsoever, and Kamineko's claws were scratched down to nothing.

…

"Chiyo-chan," Joe whispered. "Sakaki's…in her room, she got…huge scratches across her face…go check on her!"

"Right!" Chiyo said, and ran into Sakaki's room to check on her.

…

"So, Kamineko," Kagura said. "Time to say goodbye!"

Kagura kicked Kamineko up into the air (which Joe saw, and realized she also got super strength with the soda), jumped up herself (way up) and kicked Kamineko so far away, he star'd.

Kagura landed.

"Cat defeated." She said with a smile.

"Kagura-san!" Chiyo called out. "Call 9-1-1 on your cell phone, Sakaki-san's reached critical condition!"

Joe gasped.

"H…" he couldn't yell. He instead coughed up blood.

Kagura reached in and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, and that's when she realized that she had super strength, because her cell phone was now bits and pieces of crushed junk. She had accidentally crushed it in her hand.

"Aw, hell," Kagura said. "Chiyo-chan, I think you may need to dial them."

…

Joe and Sakaki were sent to the same hospital Joe was sent to the first time.

Sakaki had a big bandage put over her face. They decided she may need stitches later.

Joe was put to sleep, and then had to be operated on for the severe damage to his back and stomach. He was also checked for the minor damage to his head.

Mayaa was sent to the Yamamayaa pet Hospital, where Kaorin treated his neck injury (Sakaki had been teaching Kaorin, so that if Sakaki wasn't around, Kaorin could take care of it)

Yama was brought with the police when they hauled Joe and Sakaki away.

…

Sakaki woke up, with Kaorin sitting next to her bed. Sakaki had a huge bandage on her face to cover up the scratches. Kaorin gasped a happy gasp when she saw Sakaki wake up.

"Sakaki-san!" Kaorin said. "Welcome back! I brought a friend."

Mayaa was curled up sleeping in Kaorin's arms. He had a bandage the back of his neck.

"I'm so glad you taught me how to treat an Iriomote cat. He had severe neck damage." Kaorin said.

"Thank you, Kaorin-san," Sakaki said with a smile.

Kaorin blushed slightly, and felt her heartbeat speed up a little.

Sakaki sat up as she realized someone else was missing.

"Where's…Joe-san?" Sakaki asked.

Kaorin now wasn't looking too happy. She was kind of hoping to avoid conversation about Joe.

"He…hasn't come out of surgery yet. He had severe damage to his back and stomach." Kaorin said.

Sakaki began to cry into her hands.

"This is all my fault." Sakaki said. "If I hadn't tried to pet Kamineko all those years, none of this would have happened."

"Sakaki-san…" Kaorin said. She was even crying over this guy.

Although it was breaking her heart to see Sakaki like this, she felt the need, as a friend, to cheer Sakaki up.

Kaorin forced a smile.

"Don't worry, Joe-san's a tough guy. He'll make it," Kaorin said.

Sakaki took her face out of her hands, and was still crying.

"He just told me about his job today! We were supposed to spend the next week with each other!" Sakaki said.

"Sakaki-san!" Kaorin said, as she put one hand on Sakaki's shoulder. Kaorin looked determined. "He will make it."

Sakaki stopped crying, and began wiping away tears.

"Thanks, Kaorin-san," Sakaki said with a smile.

Kaorin felt better, now that she had made Sakaki feel better.

But a part of Sakaki still felt like she was responsible.

Chiyo came in, with a smile on her face. In fact, one of those really happy smiles.

"Joe-san's going to be just fine." Chiyo said.

Sakaki sighed in relief.

"Told you," Kaorin said.

"Better yet, I managed to synthesize something from Joe's super soda!" Chiyo said.

"Huh?" Sakaki asked.

"It only works on injuries that will heal over time, but it speeds up healing!" Chiyo said. A nurse rolled in a cart with a drink in a glass.

"Sakaki-san, take off the bandages on your face." Chiyo said.

Sakaki took the bandages off, and the scratches, although they had stopped bleeding for the most part, were still very deep and noticeable.

Kaorin gasped.

Sakaki's beautiful face…, she thought.

"Now, drink this. Be careful, it doesn't taste very good." Chiyo warned.

Sakaki took the drink and took one sip. It tasted so horrible, she shivered.

But she drank the rest down quickly, and took a deep breath as she finished it.

Sakaki waited for about a minute.

"So, is it working?" Sakaki asked.

Chiyo grabbed a mirror from the cart, and held it so Sakaki could see her face.

The scratches were slowly disappearing off of her face, as if the healing process had been sped up 10 fold.

The scratches completely disappeared from Sakaki's face, and she smiled.

"Chiyo-chan, that's…amazing." Sakaki said, as she felt her face where the scratches had been.

"WOW!" Kaorin gasped. She had that lost-in-love look on her face.

"I put some in Joe's IV. His stomach and back should be fully healed by the time he wakes up, as well as all those cat scratches disappearing." Chiyo said.

"When did you come up with this?" Sakaki asked, now looking over at Chiyo.

"After witnessing the effects the super soda had on Kagura. Complete invincibility is something of the skin, and the caffeine and sugar should have only affected her brain, which puzzled me. So, I studied the soda, and found that a small amount of vitamin D12 had been placed in the soda, which reacted with the excess D12 found in Kagura's tanned body, and formed something of a protective barrier on her skin, as well as even her eyes." Chiyo explained. "Adding a large amount of vitamin D1, which is what made it taste so horrible, would actually heal damaged skin of the person drinking it, without the adverse side-effects of the soda itself."

Chiyo had actually asked the police to go to Joe's house and grab a can of the super soda after Joe had gotten out of surgery.

"So, did Kagura-san have any side-effects for herself from drinking the soda?" Kaorin asked Chiyo.

"Heh heh, yeah." Chiyo said, rubbing the back of her head. "Her skin peeled like when you get sunburn."

…

Kagura was at home, naked in the shower, still pulling off the skin that was peeling.

"Damn soda," Kagura said in an irritated tone, "With its stupid side effects…"

…

Joe and Sakaki were released from the hospital a day later (thanks to Chiyo's medicine).

"You know," Joe said as he and Sakaki left the hospital. "That Chiyo-chan is going to cure cancer someday."

The amazing thing was that all of Joe's scratches he had gotten from the first fight were gone. The big one's he had gotten on the back of his legs were also gone.

"Well, she definitely has the brain power," Sakaki said with a smile.

…

Kaorin watched Joe and Sakaki walk away, talking happily to each other.

"Did Chihiro talk to you?" Chiyo asked seriously, as she stood behind Kaorin.

"Yes, she did," Kaorin said.

"I would definitely recommend that you set up an appointment with her." Chiyo said, and she walked away.

Kaorin just stood there with her eyes watery, staring at Joe and Sakaki, as they walked off.

…

Meanwhile, far away

…

"Oh my gosh!" a little girl said. "Look at that! That poor yellow cat! It looks injured."

And she picked up the cat, and began running off to get it treated.

…

Author's (long) notes: Well, that has Kagura out of the way, which means that only Nyamo and Yomi are left to drink the soda. Oh, and all that medical mumbo jumbo that Chiyo says, I made that up. It is in no way true (at least, I don't think it is :S )

As an after note, I want to point out that the next saga (or two) may seem a little rushed, because now I really want to get to the "Relationship saga", because I really want to see what kind of people I can hook up the Azu-girls with (specifically, Osaka)

I'm getting giddish just thinking about it.

Hope to see you all review,

JBK2K1


	32. Tomo's endless energy, begin Winter Saga

Tomo's Endless Energy, begin Winter Saga

Note: A very bad rip on Pokemon is in this chapter.

…

Still the Saturday that Kamineko attacked

…

Joe went to a vending machine, and purchased a new cell phone.

"My god, I love Japan," Joe said to himself, as he walked off.

(This particular scene was just to point out that Joe now has a cell phone again)

…

Kaorin had actually gotten lucky. One of Chihiro's clients had cancelled a meeting with her, and now Kaorin was sitting in Chihiro's office.

Kaorin looked around the room. It was a small office, with a desk and two chairs in front of it as you walked in. To the left were shelves of books, presumably psychology books. And to the right, the famous psychologist couch. Kaorin looked at the couch, and giggled.

"You know, that couch seems a bit cliché, don't you think?" Kaorin asked.

"I wanted a bed, but they were afraid of my clients falling asleep." Chihiro said, and they both laughed.

"Please, lay down in that couch, the client that cancelled was the last one for the day, so we've got plenty of time." Chihiro said.

Kaorin lay down on the couch.

"Promise not to tell anybody?" Kaorin asked.

"Doctor-patient confidentiality. Unless you give me permission, I won't tell a soul." Chihiro said, with a smile that was warm, and trusting.

And so, Kaorin began telling her life story to Chihiro, who listened intently.

…

Two hours later (about 8:00 pm in Japan)

…

"…and that's why it hurts every time Joe even kisses Sakaki-san." Kaorin finished.

"Hm. Sounds to me like the one love you had in your life has chosen someone else." Chihiro said. She hadn't talked in the two hours that Kaorin had been talking. (It's a psychologist thing)

"So, what do you recommend I do?" Kaorin asked, turning her head towards Chihiro.

"Not much I can offer." Chihiro said. "If Sakaki's made up her mind, there's no changing it."

Kaorin's eyes watered up. That was the last thing she wanted to hear.

Chihiro sighed. "I know you don't want to hear this, but you may have to find another love."

"I can't," Kaorin said, as she rolled over to face the wall. "Sakaki-san is my only love. Besides, I've had rotten luck with men."

"What do you mean?" Chihiro asked. "You didn't have a boyfriend."

"I didn't need one." Kaorin said. "Not with…him…"

"Him?" Chihiro asked, completely clueless.

"Think all the way back to high school," Kaorin said, and she shivered as she remembered the bad times.

It took about a second for Chihiro to catch on.

"Ouch. Kimura-sensei left that much of an impression on you, huh?" Chihiro said.

Kaorin shivered harder.

"Well, then, don't find a boyfriend." Chihiro said with a smile. "Just find someone cooler than Sakaki."

In a millisecond, Kaorin jumped off the couch, grabbed Chihiro by the collar, and lifted her up.

"NO ONE IS COOLER THAN SAKAKI-SAN!" Kaorin rasped, her razor teeth showing.

"Sorry, my bad." Chihiro said, rubbing the back of her head with one hand. Kaorin let her down.

"What I meant to say was, try to find the person who is second coolest in your heart, then see if they are interested in you." Chihiro said.

"But what about until then?" Kaorin asked, as she sat back down on the couch.

"I would say…" Chihiro said, and she thought for a minute. "Until then, don't be embarrassed about your love with Sakaki. Try to spend a lot of time with her that Joe doesn't have."

Kaorin looked at Chihiro, who looked happy, almost like a person who could pass happiness on to other people.

"Listen, it's really all up to you. Either way, I have to go. It was nice talking with you again, Kaorin-san." Chihiro stood up, bowed, and left the building.

Kaorin sat on the couch, staring at the floor. She then slowly got up, and left.

…

Kaorin went home that night, pondering what Chihiro had said, as well as what Sakaki might be doing with Joe that night.

…

12:00 am (AKA Sunday, midnight)

…

Sakaki and Joe were sleeping next to each other. They had both fallen asleep at about 9:30.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Knocking came at their door. Sakaki remained asleep. Joe woke up slightly, and buried his face in his pillow.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

The knocking became louder, and faster.

Joe took his face out of his pillow.

"GO AWAY!" he yelled in anger, and buried his face in his pillow again.

Sakaki had woken up.

"Joe?" Sakaki said.

"What?" Joe asked, his voice muffled out by his pillow.

"That's not your pillow…" Sakaki said.

Joe immediately jumped out of the futon he and Sakaki were sharing.

"I'm sorry!!" Joe said to Sakaki.

"Gotcha," Sakaki said with a smile, and started laughing slightly.

"That's not funny!" Joe said, although he couldn't help but smile.

The knocking at the door continued.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Joe said, as he stood up, grabbed his glasses, and stretched out. Sakaki also got up.

Joe answered the door, and saw Yomi, Chiyo, Osaka, Kagura, and Kaorin, all standing there (fully dressed, weirdly enough). And they looked angry, but only because they were tired.

"Why are you guys here at 12:00 at night?" Joe asked.

His answer came from a push that forced all of the Azu-girls right into Sakaki's apartment.

"I had to wake them all up," Tomo said from behind. She didn't sound in the least bit tired.

"Why?" Joe asked.

"Because…" Tomo stopped pushing, and looked Joe straight in the eyes. "I can't sleep."

"You…can't sleep?" Joe asked, one eyebrow way up.

Tomo nodded.

"So, you felt the need to wake everybody else up, just because you can't sleep?" Joe asked, now looking serious. His eye twitched slightly.

"Well, yeah," Tomo said, like it was a known fact. "It's boring being up alone."

Joe sighed.

"This is what we had to go through." Yomi said, obviously tired.

"Hey, Joe-san, why don't you just tranquilize her?" Chiyo asked.

"I'm out of darts, and the next shipment doesn't come until Wednesday," Joe said.

All of the Azu-girls (and Joe) now kneeled at Sakaki's table, trying to figure out how to put the super-energetic Tomo to sleep. Osaka and Kagura had their arms curled up on the table, with their heads resting on their arms.

"We could always hit her over the head until she gets knocked out," Joe said. One hand was holding up his head, with his elbow on the table.

"Tried it. She never got KO'd," Yomi said. She and Kaorin had the same position Joe had. Chiyo was the only one who seemed to be sitting up, but her eyes were already half drooping in sleepiness.

"What about relaxing music?" Sakaki asked.

"That might work, if anybody had any relaxing music," Yomi said.

Osaka had a sleep bubble coming from her nose. In an instant, Tomo went up to her and whispered in her ear.

"Osaka, the clones are coming for you,"

Just like that, Osaka snapped awake like she had just woken up from a bad dream.

"C'mon, Tomo," Osaka whined (as soon as she realized it was only Tomo), as she put her head back down. "I want sleep."

"This is so torturous that Osaka is actually making sense," Kagura said, as Tomo went and sat back down in her spot.

"So, back on subject," Joe said, "I do have some relaxing music, but it's from an anime that's…well…kind of childish."

"I don't care. If it will put Tomo to sleep, let's use it." Yomi said.

As Joe stood up and went to find the CD that held that music, Chiyo nodded off.

"Chiyo-chan, you forgot your homework again," Tomo whispered into her ear.

"I'M SORRY!! I'LL REMEMBER IT NEXT TIME!" Chiyo screamed, as she snapped awake.

"Remember what next time?" Joe asked as he came back.

"Damn you, Tomo!" Chiyo said, obviously angry. "I need my sleep. How am I supposed to grow up if you are keeping me awake like this?!"

"Pfft!" Tomo said. "Like you'll ever grow up."

Chiyo looked about ready to choke Tomo.

Joe put the CD into the stereo system he had purchased long ago, and hit play. He went and sat back down at the table as the song started to play.

"_Jigallllypuff…Jigga lllyyyy puff. Jiggaaaallllypuff, jiggaaaaaaalllllllyyyyypuff, jigaalllllyyyyy…"_

The song continued for about 5 minutes.

Tomo sat there through the whole thing, wide awake.

"That was it? That was so…" she looked over at Joe to see him fast asleep. In fact, everybody else had fallen asleep as well. "…stupid." Tomo finished.

Tomo sighed, and stood up. She went over to the stereo system, stopped the CD, and turned the volume way down. She then changed the station to a rock station, and waited for the next song to start playing.

Before it did, however, she turned the volume way up, and covered her ears.

…

Sakaki's apartment now jumped up into the air, and came crashing back down as the song played loudly.

…

Tomo turned the stereo system off.

"It didn't work." Tomo said.

"We can tell." Everybody said. They had been slammed up against the wall by the sound of the stereo.

"Which reminds me, why can you hear? I thought you were supposed to be deaf." Joe said.

"Chiyo-chan gave me some of that healing stuff." Tomo said.

"I'm beginning to regret doing so," Chiyo said, sounding irritated.

…

They all now sat around the table (same positions as before), unable to sleep for fear of what would happen if they did, as long as Tomo was awake.

"Hey, Joe, do you sleep better when sleep with Sakaki-san?" Chiyo asked.

This perked up Kaorin's attention.

"Of course I do, but what does this have to do with Tomo?" Joe asked.

"Why don't you have Tomo sleep with you?" Chiyo asked.

"No," Joe said bluntly. "I don't care if I don't sleep. No way, even in hell, that I would let Tomo sleep next to me."

Sakaki grabbed hold of Joe's pajama's collar, and pulled him so that he was face-to-face.

"Joe, I need to sleep," Sakaki said. She was now reaching the stage of aggravation that everybody else was. "If you let Tomo sleep next to you, I'll…" Sakaki paused for a minute. "I'll let you…cop a feel."

Everybody gasped at what Sakaki had just said. Except for Joe, who looked Sakaki straight in the eyes.

"Sakaki, you're tired. You're not thinking clearly." Joe said.

"Are you saying you are?" Yomi asked.

"Yes. I've sometimes played video games until 5 am in the morning. I've come to adapt." Joe said to Yomi. "But I need my sleep, because I won't be getting much after September."

"Dude, maybe I should play some video games," Tomo said.

"Yes! And let us sleep!" Yomi yelled, as she hit her hand on the table.

"But, I've beaten them all already…" Tomo said, lost in thought.

"ARGH!! THIS IS TOO MUCH!! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!! SHE'S DEAD!!" Yomi screamed, and lunged at Tomo.

Tomo, however, was fully awake, and jumped out of Yomi's way, so she came crashing down on the table.

"Ha! You can't catch me, not in your tired state." Tomo said, in a bragging tone.

"But I can," Kagura said in a threatening tone, "and I'm about ready to kill you too."

"I'm with her!" Chiyo said, as she cracked her knuckles.

"Count me in!" Kaorin said, also cracking her knuckles.

"I'm too tired to participate," Osaka moaned.

"Gals!! Settle!" Joe said. Sakaki had let go of him when Yomi had come crashing down. "The more you chase her down, the more energy you lose. Just save it for thinking."

This seemed to settle the Azu-girls down (a little).

"So, about that whole 'sleeping with Tomo' deal…" Chiyo said.

"I said no." Joe said angrily, he himself now beginning to feel the effects of tiredness.

"How about if I sleep with you in the bare minimum?" Sakaki asked. "Would you do it then?"

Everybody was stunned completely silent (even Joe).

"Uh…" he was about to answer 'yes' when…

"How about if Sakaki-san sleeps with me for a night? I'll do it for that!" Kaorin screamed, and she raised her hand.

"Fine, then," Sakaki said, turning to Kaorin. Sakaki's face still read serious. "If Tomo falls asleep, I'll sleep with you the next night."

Kaorin looked like she could die happy now.

Kaorin stood up, and ran over to Tomo.

"C'mon! I've got a bet to keep!" Kaorin said, as she grabbed Tomo and dragged her into the bedroom Sakaki and Joe had been sleeping in. Everybody else slowly followed.

Joe sat at the table, tears rivering down his face.

"But I wanted…the bare minimum…" Joe whined, as he stood up and followed the Azu-girls.

…

Everybody stood up, leaning against the wall, as Kaorin and Tomo lay there in the futon Joe and Sakaki had been sleeping in. And they were cuddled close.

After a few minutes, Tomo let go of Kaorin and sat up.

"This isn't working," Tomo said. She then realized that Kaorin had fallen asleep. And everybody else had fallen asleep leaning up against the wall.

'I'M STILL AWAKE!!" Tomo screamed into a microphone.

Everybody leaning up against the wall growled as they slowly looked up at Tomo. The bags under all of their eyes had now become blatantly obvious.

Kaorin got up out of the futon, and stood behind Tomo. Her eyes were glowing red like a demon's.

She grabbed hold of Tomo's neck, and turned her around.

"You…All I wanted was to sleep with Sakaki-san…BUT I CAN'T GET THAT, CAN I?!" Kaorin screamed, moving Tomo back and forth as she did.

Tomo broke the deathlock on her neck, and got away from Kaorin, because everybody else on the wall now slowly pushed themselves up, and had the same red, glowing, demon eyes.

"So, you guys haven't gotten any sleep yet, but look on the bright side," Tomo said, now realizing the danger she was in. She backed up, and opened the curtains. "At least its still night."

But it wasn't night. The sun was shining.

It was 7 am. Tomo had kept them up all night.

"Oh, um, damn…" Tomo said, rubbing the back of her head, looking out the window.

Everybody had tears rivering down their face. No sleep, at all. Osaka sounded like she was about ready to cry like a 2-year old.

Then they all went to a very serious, angry look. Right at Tomo.

Tomo turned around.

"Oh, crap…" Tomo said. Everybody had a very murderous intention seeping off of them.

Tomo started waving her hands in front of herself franticly. "Uh…c'mon guys, you know me…uh,…I have lots of energy, and I c…" Tomo's eyes suddenly went half-closed. She swayed back and forth a few times, and then fell on the floor, completely asleep.

Everybody stared at Tomo on the floor, who had just fallen asleep. "Heh heh," everybody just barely managed to let out.

Then the sun shown into the room through the window, and shown right on Tomo's face. She began to scrunch her face.

Everybody gasped. Joe made a leaping jump for the window, and closed the curtains completely, so that the room was completely dark.

Tomo's face slowly lessened up, and now smiled. She was sleeping soundly.

The Azu-girls looked at Joe, and they let out a weak laugh. Joe looked back at them, and also let out a weak laugh.

Then everybody collapsed, all at once, and fell asleep, having had the most tiring night of their entire lives.

…

Author's notes: Chiyo, Sakaki, and Osaka getting violent, something you'll only ever see if their being kept awake at night.

I got this idea from reading a lot of fanfictions, and everybody kept saying "Tomo's endless amount of energy". I was actually lying in bed when I thought of this "What if Tomo didn't expel all of her endless energy by the end of the day?" This is what I came up with.

Next Chapter: Games, Dreams, and Annoying Catchphrases


	33. Games, Dreams, and Annoying Catchphrases

Games, Dreams, and Annoying Catchphrases

Note: Bear in mind, everybody involved in the last chapter rolled around in their sleep to find the most comfortable spot. Again, they were all asleep.

You'll see what I mean.

Note 2: Warning! Annoying catchphrases only seen in English versions of things seen later in this chapter.

…

Joe was the first to wake up. He checked his watch first. 12:00pm on Sunday.

Then Joe poked his pillow, because it felt a little weird.

Yomi giggled a little bit in her sleep.

Wow, she has a bit of fat on her, but just enough to make her a comfortable pillow, Joe thought.

Joe then realized that Sakaki was right on top of him, with her head on his chest. Joe began stroking her hair lovingly, as he checked the rest of the Azu-girls.

Tomo had curled herself up in the futon Joe and Sakaki had been in before Tomo woke them up, and was way over.

To his left was Chiyo, simply laying there (not touching Joe in any way, and her face was pointed up). The thing that made Joe's eyes slightly go wide was the fact of where Osaka was lying.

She had kind of cuddled next to Chiyo (had one hand across Chiyo's chest), but was using one of Chiyo's pigtails as a pillow.

To his right, was Kagura (with her back to him), but he saw a pair of arms and legs wrapped around Kagura, which he only recognized as Kaorin's arms and legs.

"Sakaki-san…I love you…" Kaorin said in her sleep.

"Heiko…" Kagura said, also in her sleep.

Joe then heard kissing noises coming from Kagura's side that he couldn't see.

Joe stopped stroking Sakaki's hair, and pulled his hands to a prayer position.

Thank you, God, Joe thought, as he put his hand back on Sakaki's head, and fell back asleep.

…

The very next time anybody woke up was Monday morning (yes, they slept all through Sunday. If you had Tomo keep you up all Saturday night through Sunday morning, you'd sleep all day too.)

They woke up, because Sakaki's alarm went off.

Everybody sat up, rubbed their eyes, stretched out, etc.

"Wow, I had the greatest dream. I had a dream that I was kissing Sakaki-san." Kaorin said, in a dreamy way.

"I had a dream that Heiko was finally showing me a bit of love," Kagura said.

"hehehe…I saw the both of you. You were kissing each other in your sleep." Joe said with a big grin on his face.

Both of them looked like they had just seen a ghost. They both ran to the kitchen, grabbed cups, and began rising out their mouths.

"I had a dream I was sleeping on a nice comfortable pillow," Osaka said.

"That…" Joe said with an even bigger grin, "was Chiyo-chan's pigtail you were sleeping on."

Osaka backed up against the far wall, and began rubbing her head frantically.

"Get the evil off!" Osaka screamed. "I don't want to be mind-controlled!"

Chiyo sighed, as Joe laughed.

Sakaki was stretching herself out (and looking cool doing so).

"But, man, what a night," Sakaki said as she finished. "What exactly happened? I don't remember much."

"Uh…nothing," Joe said (trying to protect Sakaki from her actions)

"Yeah, right!" Tomo said. The energy was back. "I kept you guys up all morning, and Sakaki had even promised to sleep with you in just her bra and panties to get you to put me to sleep!"

Sakaki's face turned a beat red.

"That part, I do remember," Yomi said grimly. "That, and coping a feel"

"Good thing I didn't fall asleep with him, right, Sakaki?" Tomo asked in her energetic way.

Sakaki was way too embarrassed to even talk. It had all come flooding back to her as well.

"The thing that kind of creeped me out was Kaorin." Yomi said. "Sleeping with Sakaki for one night? She seems to have become a bit more…open about her love."

"That's because Chihiro helped her," Chiyo said. "She was feeling a bit down, since Joe was dating Sakaki-san."

Kagura and Kaorin came running back into the room.

"Do you guys have any idea what time it is?" Kaorin asked in a panicked state.

Joe checked his watch. His eyes went wide.

"8:00" Joe said, "You guys are going to be late for work. Osaka and Tomo, you guys are already late!!"

"I'm always late anyway," Osaka said, waving her hand in front of her face. She seemed to have calmed down.

"So am I. Nothing new here." Tomo said, like it was nothing.

"You two are hopeless," Joe said with a sigh.

…

Tomo and Osaka were chased out of the house. Yomi left to go 'help her diet along'.

"Hey, Joe-san, you said that you stay up until 5:00 am playing video games?" Chiyo asked.

"Yes, why?" Joe asked.

"Could you come over to my house, and play video games until 5:00 am?" Chiyo asked.

"Um, Chiyo-chan, I'm a bit surprised to hear this coming from you," Joe said with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, I just want to enter the adult world. I know adults often stay up late." Chiyo said with that happy face she always had.

"Sure, Chiyo-chan," Joe said. He knew Sakaki would object, but he had a plan for that.

"Thanks, Joe! Be at my house at 8:00 pm tonight!" and with that, she left for her house to get ready for work.

"See you guys later," Kagura said, and went running off herself.

Which left Kaorin, Sakaki, and Joe alone in the house.

"So, you took the rest of September off to play video games?" Sakaki asked, in an irritated questioning tone.

Joe turned around, and put one hand on Sakaki's shoulder.

"Sakaki, I want you to sleep over at Kaorin's house tonight." he said.

Kaorin stopped, and pinched herself.

"I'M NOT DREAMING!!" Kaorin screamed.

"What for?" Sakaki asked, concerned (and also ignoring Kaorin's rant)

"Kaorin keeps admitting that she loves you, and I know it probably pains her to see you and me together. So, I want you to sleep over at her house while I play with Chiyo tonight."

Kaorin looked like she could die happy again.

"Listen, we need some cat food, and I need to go pick up some." Joe looked at Sakaki, and then looked over at Kaorin.

"Kaorin, could you turn around, please?" Joe asked.

Kaorin quickly turned around, as she knew what they were about to do.

Sakaki-san will be sleeping over at my house!! Kaorin thought, as Joe and Sakaki kissed.

"See you after work!" Joe said, as he left the house.

Then Kaorin gasped.

"Sakaki-san, we need to get to work!" Kaorin said.

Sakaki now got a determined look on her face. She would not be late.

…

That night, 8:00 pm

…

A knock came at Chiyo's door. Chiyo opened it to find Joe.

"So, bring your Wii?" Chiyo asked.

"No," Joe said, and kind of looked away. "I've been turning to the dark side."

"Huh?" Chiyo asked, completely clueless.

Joe took the package out from underneath his arms to reveal a PS2.

"I can't help it! It's got these awesome strategy, RPG games called Disgaea and Disgaea 2 for it!" Joe said.

"Well, that's OK" Chiyo said in her happy way. "As long as it will keep us up!"

Joe looked back.

"Oh, that it will. I guarantee it." Joe said.

"Well, let's hook it up!!" Chiyo said, and pumped her fist up into the air. "Let the all-night gaming begin!"

"Yeah!" Joe screamed back, and pumped one fist into the air.

…

(hehe) Over at Kaorin's house

…

Sakaki had brought Yama and Mayaa over to Kaorin's house, so they could be watched while she was over there.

Kaorin and Sakaki were both going to bed when Kaorin sat up in her futon. Something was bothering her.

"What is it?" Sakaki asked.

"What do you see in Joe?" Kaorin asked. She was still looking at her futon.

Sakaki began giggling.

"What?" Kaorin asked, as she looked over at Sakaki.

"Joe asked me the same question," Sakaki said. "I told him it was because he was the first one to call me cute, but I think it's more than that. I think he's a guy who doesn't expect anything but my love in our relationship. He's one of the very few kind-hearted guys out there."

"Kind-hearted guys?" Kaorin asked.

"He asked me to stay over at your house, because you said you loved me." Sakaki said with a smile. "He wasn't thinking of himself at the time, he was thinking about you."

Kaorin took all of this information in. Then she began blushing.

"Um, Sakaki-san…" Kaorin began, and she swallowed hard. "Could we…sleep in the same futon tonight?"

Sakaki looked at her for a minute, and smiled.

"Sure." Sakaki said in her cool voice.

Kaorin gasped.

Sakaki said yes!! Kaorin said.

She jumped over, and curled up right next to Sakaki. She put her head right on her chest (right above Sakaki's breasts). Sakaki put her arms around Kaorin, and fell asleep.

Kaorin put her arms around Sakaki.

"This is the happiest moment in my entire life!!" Kaorin whispered. "Thank you, Sakaki-san!"

And thank you, Joe-san, for making it possible, Kaorin thought.

Maybe, just maybe, Joe may be the right one for Sakaki, Kaorin thought, before falling asleep.

…

"You know," Joe said, "My guy side is suddenly wishing it were over at Kaorin's house."

Chiyo's eyes narrowed, as she looked over at him.

"You pervert," Chiyo said.

Joe gave Chiyo a nasty look. He then adjusted his glasses, messed up his hair, and dropped his mouth open.

"Perverted, am I?" he asked, in an awesome impression of Kimura.

…

All the way over at his house, Kimura was asleep in bed with his wife. He woke up, and sneezed.

…

Chiyo shivered.

"That was just…creepy." Chiyo said.

Joe readjusted himself so that he was no longer like Kimura.

"It's just a guy thing, Chiyo," Joe said, "Kimura has his own tastes."

"Nothing tasteful about it," Chiyo said.

They both continued to play Disgaea and Disgaea 2.

…

Tuesday morning

…

Joe and Chiyo walked out of Chiyo's house. They were yawning and stretching, trying to wake themselves up.

They had both only played until midnight, and then decided that was enough. Tomo had really done it to them on Saturday.

Joe and Chiyo began walking along the sidewalk.

"That was an awesome night, zam," Chiyo said, with a smile

She stopped dead in her tracks, and looked confused. Joe stopped and looked back at her.

"What in the world, zam?" Chiyo asked.

"It comes from playing Disgaea 2 for too long," Joe explained, "you end up saying their annoying catchphrases for a while. Don't worry, it'll wear off, dood."

"I can't go to the hospital saying 'zam' all the time, zam!" Chiyo said.

"Don't worry, it's only 8:00. It should wear off by noon, dood." Joe said.

Joe and Chiyo continued walking, trying not to talk to each other, because the catchphrases kind of annoyed Chiyo (they didn't bother Joe, who was American, and was used to annoying catchphrases like that)

Suddenly, while they were walking, someone jumped out of the bushes.

"Believe it!!" Tomo yelled out in English, with her usual Tomo energy, that made both Chiyo and Joe jump back in surprise.

"Tomo-chan, what the hell was that, zam?" Chiyo asked.

"I watched an illegally downloaded episode of the English version Naruto last night," Tomo said. "That 'Believe it' that Naruto always says is so annoying, that I want to use it now! Believe it!"

(Note: Throughout the rest of the story, Tomo says 'Believe it' in English)

"Wow, that IS annoying, zam," Chiyo said with a sweat-drop.

"You have no idea, dood," Joe said, also with a sweat-drop.

"What do you mean?" Tomo asked.

"Well, I watch the Japanese version with English subtitles, and Naruto always says 'dattebayo' after every sentence, dood," Joe said.

Tomo thought for a minute.

"'Believe it' seems way more annoying! Believe it!" Tomo said, pump-fisting into the air.

"Say 'Believe it' one more time, and I'll use a chainsaw to cut off your arms, legs, and your head, dood." Joe said, irritated.

"Aren't you supposed to be teaching, zam?" Chiyo asked.

"School's not in today! Be-" Tomo stopped, and slapped her hands over her mouth as she looked at Joe, who looked ready to kill.

"You know what; I'm going to go annoy Yomi. See you guys later." Tomo said.

As she was about three blocks away, she turned around and yelled "Believe it!!"

"She's going to get it later, dood," Joe said.

"I really want this to end, zam," Chiyo said, sighing heavily.

…

Kaorin woke up, still in Sakaki's arms. Sakaki was still fast asleep.

Kaorin decided that she would just stay curled up with her one true love.

Sakaki at that point woke up, let go, and stretched out.

Kaorin had tears rivering down her face, as she sat up.

Sakaki stretched out and then looked over at Kaorin.

"That was a very nice night," Sakaki said with a smile. "Thank you"

"Ah…No problem, Sakaki-san," Kaorin said, now blushing profusely.

Sakaki put one hand on Kaorin's shoulder.

"I really hope you find the right one for you. You're a very nice person, who deserves to be treated well." Sakaki said.

"Th-thank you, Sakaki-san!" Kaorin said, feeling the greatest.

Sakaki leaned over, and kissed Kaorin on the lips.

…

Joe felt something.

"What is it, zam?" Chiyo asked.

"My perverted side just kicked up a fit," Joe said. "Something tells me something weird happened between Kaorin and Sakaki, dood."

…

No words were said. Sakaki simply got up.

Kaorin was stunned silent. Her heart was racing.

Then a question popped up in her mind.

"Sakaki-san, all the way back in high school, I could have swore you were wearing cute nekoconeco panties. Were you?" she asked.

Sakaki smiled, and pulled down her pajamas just enough for Kaorin to see a necoconeco on her butt.

"And I still do," Sakaki said, in her cool voice.

Kaorin just giggled.

Sakaki got dressed, and left, totting Mayaa and the pregnant Yama in her arms.

…

Nothing else exciting happened throughout the rest of the week (with the exception of Tomo getting choked, uppercut, and ground-slammed by Yomi for saying 'Believe it' way too much. Needless to say, Tomo stopped after that [thank god)

…

The final night of Joe's freedom

…

Sakaki was laying in her futon, waiting for Joe to get there, when she noticed something on his table.

It was a headband, with the words "Wait 4 hours for Nightmares" written on it in Japanese.

"Know what that is?" Joe asked, as he came in the room.

Sakaki jumped slightly, as Joe surprised her, but still kept her curious look on her face.

"That is the secret to me being able to stay up through the two and a half months I work. I put it on my forehead, and when I fall asleep, I sleep for 4 hours, and then that thing attracts a nightmare that wakes me up."

"That sounds…awful." Sakaki said.

"Yeah, but nightmares keep me awake better than caffeine does." Joe said.

Joe and Sakaki laid down in the futon, with Sakaki putting her head against Joe's chest.

"By the way, I never got to say 'thank you' for that nice thing you did for Kaorin." Sakaki said with a smile.

"You were the one who did it. I just had the idea." Joe said, also feeling happy and content.

Joe and Sakaki curled up together, for what would be their final night for the next two and a half months.

…

Author's notes: I know that a few people are going to be happy that I gave Kaorin a bit of happiness here.

I really felt like I was being a bit too mean and heartless to Kaorin, so I decided to be nice for once.

They annoying catchphrases actually came about when my brothers and I were sitting downstairs, and I was playing Disgaea 2:

"Prinny, dood"

"That's annoying. Believe it!"

"Don't make me slice off your head, zam!"

Hehe, we thought it was funny.

Oh, and as a final note, sorry for those of you that hate Naruto. His 'Believe it' really is annoying, isn't it?

Next Chapter: Nightmares


	34. Nightmares

Nightmares

Note: Bear in mind these all are just dream sequences. Anything in parentheses are notes, or what Joe said after he snapped awake from the dream. See Author's notes for more details.

Note2: I'm about to rip and beat on a lot of stuff. Just a warning.

…

(The very first nightmare)

A big red button that says: "Push here to end the world"

"Push!" Tomo yelled with a smile, as she pushed it.

…

(Link is running through Hyrule field in Ocarina of Time)

"Hey!" Navi said. "Look closer"

Zoom up to Navi to see she's actually Tomo.

"Why do you think I'm so annoying, and point stuff out you already know?" Tomo/Navi asked.

…

Yomi is standing there, looking beautifully skinny.

"Joe-san, you really let yourself go," Yomi said.

Joe looked at himself to see that he was seriously obese. He looked like a huge donut roll.

Joe screamed.

…

Tomo and Osaka were standing there. Tomo had the head of Tomo, but was dressed from the neck down as Etna (from Disgaea). Osaka also had the head of Osaka, but was dressed from the neck down as Angel Trainee Flonne (from Disgaea).

"I look good in this," Tomo said, as she looked behind her at her demon tail.

Osaka's head slowly turned to Tomo.

"Yeah, you do," Osaka said.

("You know, those two would actually be perfectly fitting for those two Disgaea characters!" Joe said with wide eyes, as he made this new discovery)

…

Yomi, Kaorin, Kagura, Sakaki, Chiyo, and Joe are all standing on top of Kami's lookout, and Tomo is standing there with a big smile.

"What is she going to do?" Chiyo asked.

(start Super Buu theme here)

Tomo raised her open hand to the air, and a little pink energy ball formed.

"No…" Yomi said. "Wait, don't do it!"

Too late. Tomo started up the human extinction attack, laughing her Tomo-laugh the entire time she was doing it, and kept it going (until the end of the super buu theme)

"Hehe… Now we're the only ones left on the planet," Tomo said.

Tomo then formed a super huge energy ball only recognizable as the energy ball Kid Buu used to destroy Earth. She threw it.

(Joe woke up from this one sweating profusely. He knew Tomo would do it if she had the power.)

…

"Hey, Joe, check it out!" Tomo yelled. She was wearing a sexy dress.

"I'm the next Bond Girl!"

("Oh, hell no" Joe snapped awake from this one, and checked the internet just to make sure Tomo wasn't)

…

Chiyo was standing there. But it was the grown up one. (The one seen back in chapter 24)

"Joe, I have something to show you," Chiyo said sexily, as she lifted up her shirt…

Where Chiyo's breasts were supposed to be, were instead a set of pigtails.

"Now you know where I put them!" Chiyo said in her happy way.

(Joe snapped awake from this one. "I think I've been hanging out with Osaka a bit too much," Joe said as he shivered)

…

"Here, Joe," Chiyo said as she took off her pigtails and gave them to Joe. "Try them on"

Joe took them and put them on.

"What are they supposed to do?" Joe asked.

"Self-destruct sequence initiated." The pigtails said. "Thank you."

"WHAT?!" Joe screamed.

A flash, then an atomic mushroom cloud was seen.

("Definitely been hanging around Osaka too much," Joe said after waking up from this one)

…

Joe was standing in front of an alien (insert your own alien look here)

"Now you know what I was afraid of," Osaka said. Osaka was dressed in a completely black suit.

"Wow, I guess aliens do exist," Joe said. Osaka put on a pair of sunglasses, and pulled something out of her pocket.

"But I'm the only one who is supposed to know," Osaka said, as she put the neuralizer in front of Joe's face, and…

FLASH!

…

Osaka was standing there.

"Joe, you were always wondering why I'm afraid of clones…" Osaka said. "Because it's all about purpose."

"Because as we both know," Osaka said. "Without purpose, we would not exist."

"It is purpose that created us." Another Osaka came in from a different direction.

"Purpose that connects us." Another Osaka.

"Purpose that pulls us"

"That guides us."

"That drives us!"

"It is purpose that defines."

"Purpose that binds us."

"And now…" The first Osaka said, as she stuck her hand right into Joe's abdomen.

Joe transformed right into Osaka.

"…I'm one of you too. On purpose." The new Osaka said.

(Joe woke up, sweating profusely from this one)

…

"Hello, everybody," Kimura said. "I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Michael Jackson."

"Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii," Michael said.

(Joe woke up from this one, ran to the bathroom, and threw up)

…

Joe was sitting at a table with Sakaki.

"So, how are things with you and Kaorin?" Joe asked.

"Look at your plate," Sakaki said with a smile.

On Joe's plate was Kaorin's body. On Sakaki's plate was Kaorin's head.

"We got into a bit of an argument. So," Sakaki took one big bite out of the neck, so she had blood all over her face. "Eat up."

(Joe also threw up from this one)

…

Kaorin was standing there looking right at Joe.

"Why are you in love with Sakaki so much?" Joe asked.

"Because," Kaorin said. She reached up, and took off a mask. She now had the face of a guy.

"I'm really a guy," The man said, in a deep voice.

("Creepy," Joe said when he woke up from this one)

…

(One anti-funny nightmare)

Sakaki was standing there, but she had cat ears, cat-like eyes, and the cat teeth that stick out slightly at the corners. (like demon teeth) She also had huge cat paws for hands, and her bra and panties had become huge spots of fur. She had on cat paw slippers.

"Hi, Sakaki!" Joe said.

Sakaki slashed across his face.

"Sakaki, wha…" Joe began to ask. Then Sakaki stuck her claws right into Joe's throat.

(Joe had to wake up, and check his throat for anything that might have been stuck there)

…

Ichijo and Osaka were both staring at Joe. They both had the same face they always do.

That's the entire dream. Just staring from Ichijo and Osaka.

(Joe couldn't stop shivering for the rest of the day after this one)

…

"Give me my money!" Yukari screamed. Joe handed her 100,000 yen.

Yukari then walked over to Nyamo, and ripped her clothes off in one shot.

Nyamo covered the good parts of her body with her arms. "What the hell are you doing, Yukari?!"

"I was paid to have sex with you," Yukari said, as she ripped off her own clothes in one shot.

"So, let's get freaky," Yukari said in a creepy way, as she jumped on top of Nyamo.

("That…was beyond creepy," Joe said with a shiver)

…

Joe was buckled into the seat of Yukari's car. And Yukari was doing her Yukari-style driving.

"Don't you think you could drive a bit better?!" Joe yelled in a panicked state.

Yukari looked at him in a peeved way. She de-attached the steering wheel.

"You think you can drive better?! Fine!" Yukari said, as she handed the wheel to Joe, and crossed her arms.

Joe's wide eyes just stared at the de-attached steering wheel in his hands, and then went to the road, where an oncoming semi was.

Joe screamed.

(Joe woke up, screaming)

…

"Joe-san!" Sakaki screamed.

Joe looked to see that her breasts were now bigger.

But they continued to get bigger, and bigger, and bigger, until…

BOOM!!

…

"Behold!" Tomo screamed "My ultimate weapon!"

Before them stood something that looked exactly like Osaka, but it also had Chiyo's pigtails attached.

"This thing looks like Osaka, has the power of Chiyo's pigtails and brains, my energy, Yomi's lack of self-control on her anger, and Sakaki and Kagura's athletic abilities!" Tomo yelled.

ZOOM! The ultimate weapon zoomed out of sight, and was back within a second.

"If you poke a human in both arms at the same time, they will die! WHICH YOU SHOULD!" The weapon said angrily, and touched Joe's arms.

("What the f---?")

…

(and, finally)

"And so, in short," George W. Bush finished. "I would like to introduce the two newest members of my cabinet. Please help me welcome the new Department of Homeland Security Head, Osaka."

"We must protect the American people against the evil pigtails!" Osaka said, throwing her fist up into the air.

"And my new Department of Defense Head, Tomo" Bush said.

"Let's blow up the world!" Tomo yelled, pumping her fist into the air.

(Joe snapped awake, breathing heavily. He seriously believed it could happen.)

…

Author's notes: Remember, Joe would have nightmares every single night for the two and a half months he worked. I decided to put some of the funny one's up. Hope you enjoyed it!

Next Chapter: Christmas Shopping


	35. Kittens and Presents

Kittens and Presents

Timeskip to: November, the day Yama is having her kittens (no snow on the ground yet)

…

Yama had been meowing in pain that morning, which woke Sakaki up. She immediately called Joe's cell phone, and left a message.

Sakaki also called everybody else up to let them know. Although Tomo wasn't coming (for obvious Iriomote-hating reasons) and Osaka couldn't get out of school, Chiyo had the day off, and Kagura would be coming with Heiko. (Kaorin worked at the vet's office, so she would obviously be there).

…

Sakaki had taken Yama in to be treated, and Mayaa had come along to see his kittens be born. She would be the one to deliver Yama's kittens, with the assistance of Kaorin.

Sakaki came out of the operation room and went into the waiting room. Chiyo was already there, along with Kagura and Heiko. Kaorin was in the operating room, watching Yama's condition.

"Thank you for coming, guys." Sakaki said.

"No problem, Sakaki-san!" Chiyo said.

"Yeah, I wouldn't miss this." Kagura said. "And neither would Heiko."

"I would not miss it," Heiko said in English (but it almost sounded like he didn't care)

Sakaki was glad to see a few friends show up for this, but she was still concerned that Joe had not shown up.

She tried calling his cell phone again, and only got his answering machine.

Sakaki closed her cell phone, and sighed.

"Sakaki-san!" Kaorin cried.

Sakaki looked out the window, hoping to see Joe, and didn't see anybody.

Sakaki turned around, told the secretary that had taken Kaorin's old job not to let anybody in, and walked through the door.

"Where is Joe?" Kagura asked, as she turned around to look outside the window.

"He has to work, remember?" Chiyo said glumly.

"Woah, here he comes!" Kagura said.

Chiyo whipped around and looked out the window. Joe was sprinting down the sidewalk with a suitcase in his hand. He made a B-line for the front door.

The door almost slammed open as he dashed in.

"She's just about to have kittens!" Chiyo yelled.

Joe ran to the door that Sakaki had gone through.

"Sir, you can't go through there!" the secretary said.

"What room is the Iriomote having the kittens?" Joe asked in a hurried manner. "I'm the boyfriend of the doctor, and the girl who owns them. Please, just let me through."

The secretary sat there, looking at the kids eyes. It seemed he even ran over here, as he was gasping for air.

"Operating room 3" the secretary said.

"Thank you," Joe said, as he ran through the door.

"Don't worry," Chiyo told the secretary. "He has a very hard job this time of year, and had to run over here for this."

…

Joe ran into the operating room. Sakaki and Kaorin looked up, and a smile slowly shown on Sakaki's face.

"Glad you could make it," Sakaki said.

"I wouldn't miss this…for the world," Joe said, breathing hard.

"Sakaki!" Kaorin said, as they both turned their attention back to Yama.

Joe walked up next to Sakaki to witness this (he was also trying to catch his breath)

Mayaa was sitting on the operating table, watching Yama give birth.

…

Yama had three beautiful kittens, and no problems with the birth. Yama was now sleeping, and the kittens were curled up with their mother. Mayaa sat there, like the protective father he now is.

Kaorin left to go get some vet supplies from down the hall.

"What should we call them?" Joe asked.

"How about Ichi, Ni, and San?" Sakaki asked.

"hm hm…perfect," Joe said.

Nice and simplistic, Joe thought.

"Oh, yeah," Joe said. "Here's the reason I was so late."

He reached into his suitcase, and pulled out a document.

"I had to stop at my lawyer's office before I came here." Joe handed the document to Sakaki, who read it. "Since both Mayaa and Yama are purebread Iriomotes, and because the Iriomotes are endangered, having purebread Iriomote kittens is actually requested by the government."

Sakaki's eyes watered up as she finished.

"You think of everything, don't you?" Sakaki asked.

"hehe…only when it comes to keeping you out of jail, Sakaki" Joe said, rubbing the back of his head with one hand.

Joe and Sakaki stared at Yama for a moment, sleeping there with her kittens.

"I hate to have to leave you again, but I've got to go," Joe said.

He and Sakaki quickly kissed.

Joe scratched behind Yama's ear.

"Well done, Yama." He then reached over and petted Mayaa.

"Protect them well," Joe said, and he left the office.

Kaorin came back with vet supplies, and a few needles.

"Now we just need to give them vaccinations," Kaorin said.

It was at this point that Mayaa stood up, got into defense position, and began growling.

"Looks like it may be tougher than we thought," Sakaki said with a laugh.

…

Coming out of the operating room with the three kittens and Yama in a basket, Kagura and Chiyo were still in the waiting room.

"Joe left, so I figured you might be done soon," Chiyo said.

"What happened to Heiko?" Kaorin asked Kagura.

Kagura sighed. "You know, I think him and I are going to be breaking up soon. I don't get any sort of love out of him, and he left, saying that he wasn't going to wait for some silly kittens to be born."

Sakaki looked slightly offended at 'silly kittens'.

Kagura and Chiyo now got their first look at the new kittens.

"So, what did you name them?" Chiyo asked.

"Ichi, Ni, and San" Sakaki said.

"Seems simplistic. I like it" Chiyo said.

"Hey, Chiyo-chan, can I talk to you over there for a minute?" Sakaki asked.

"Sure." Chiyo said.

Sakaki and Chiyo walked out of hearing distance of Kaorin and Kagura.

"What is it, Sakaki-san?" Chiyo asked.

"Well, I need to know…" Sakaki began. "What does Joe want for Christmas?"

Chiyo looked away. She didn't know either. Then...

Light bulb.

…

Flashback to when Joe and Chiyo were playing Disgaea 2

…

"So, Joe, why don't you play your Wii anymore?" Chiyo asked.

"Because, I've kind of lost interest in the games. But," Joe said, "I'm waiting for December 3rd."

"What happens then?" Chiyo asked.

"Super Smash Bros Brawl." Joe said, with a smile that said excitement.

…

End flashback

…

…

Timeskip: December 3rd, 6:00 AM

…

The store didn't open until 8:00, but Sakaki was now in line, thanks to the recommendation from Chiyo.

In fact, she had been in line since December 2nd, at 8:00am, and she was still 10th in line.

Yama, Mayaa, and the three kittens were being watched by Kaorin. Sakaki sat on the sidewalk, wrapped up in a blanket she had asked Chiyo to bring, with her pillow underneath her butt, and a thick winter jacket on, and it was still cold. She began to shiver slightly.

"Here, drink this." The man in line behind her said, as he handed her a Thermos that someone had brought him that morning. Sakaki drank a little, and it warmed up her inside. She drank a little more to warm herself up to stop from shivering.

"Thanks," Sakaki said as she handed the Thermos back to the guy.

"No problem." The guy said. "So, you're here because your boyfriend likes video games, and you're getting this for him?"

Sakaki nodded.

"Why would you do this for him? Shouldn't he be here?" the man asked.

"Because he's off at his job. He took me on expensive dates, and was all around nice to me, and I never really gave him anything back." Sakaki said. She then looked over at the guy. "So, this is my chance to finally give back to him."

"Man, that is some guy. I think you got lucky." The guy said.

And the guy's lucky too! My girlfriend hates me for this gaming stuff! He thought.

The snow began to fall on the people standing in line. Sakaki pulled the blanket closer.

…

8:00am

…

Sakaki walked out of the store, blanket and pillow under her right arm. She had the game in a bag in her left hand.

She felt content. She was going to go home, take a shower, and get a decent amount of sleep.

Some guy with a ski-cap ran past Sakaki, and stole the bag that she was toting.

"Hey!" Sakaki yelled, as she dropped her pillow and blanket on the sidewalk, and began running after the guy.

The guy turned and ran into an alleyway, and Sakaki chased after him. Sakaki caught up (due to her natural athletic ability), and tackled him from behind.

Sakaki grabbed the bag, but the guy wouldn't let go.

"Let go!" Sakaki yelled, as she pulled the bag hard.

The man gave one final tug, and then let go. Sakaki fell backward, and hit the ground hard.

The man then jumped on top of the fallen Sakaki, and pinned her hands underneath his knees, and pulled out a knife.

"I'm going to enjoy this," the man said, as his knife came down to cut Sakaki's shirt off.

Sakaki's eyes went wide.

"Mihama Hurricane Spin!!"

A spinning object came flying out of nowhere, and hit the man square on the face. The man went flying backward, spinning through the air all the way. He hit the ground, and skipped a few times before skidding to a stop across the road on the other exit side of the alleyway.

Some feet landed on the ground right above Sakaki's head. Sakaki looked up to see Chiyo standing there.

"Looks like you got into some trouble, Sakaki-san," Chiyo said, as she walked to the side of Sakaki, and helped her up.

"Chiyo-chan, when did you…?" Sakaki asked.

"hehe…I was coming to see if you had gotten Joe his Christmas present, and watched you tackle this guy." Chiyo said. "When he pinned you is when I prepped for the 'Mihama Hurricane Spin'"

Chiyo picked up the bag and handed it to Sakaki.

Sakaki checked the bag. The game was still in there, completely unscathed.

Sakaki breathed a sigh of relief.

…

"So, what is the 'Mihama Hurricane Spin'?" Sakaki asked. Both her and Chiyo were now walking home. Sakaki had gone back to grab her pillow and blanket she had dropped (which of course were now dirty)

"It's an attack that just came to me the day after I couldn't stop saying 'zam'." Chiyo said. "I can spin through the air, and anything I hit gets sent flying and spinning."

"Wow, that's…amazing." Sakaki said. "By the way, thanks for coming to my rescue."

"No problem. You're doing this out of the love in your heart, I'm just protecting that." Chiyo said, as she turned off to walk to her house.

Sakaki walked in to her house. She double-checked the bag to make sure the game was still in there, and that the case itself was still sealed. She then stuck her blanket and pillow in the wash, took a shower, and went to bed.

…

Author's notes: I'm waiting for Super Smash Bros Brawl to come out.

Official release date: December 3rd!! I'm waiting outside a store building for my copy!!

Next Chapter: Joe's return


	36. Joe's Return

Joe's Return

Note: For those of you that don't know (or don't remember) the kotatsu is the warming blanket that Osaka was obsessed with in the anime

…

Timeskip: December 20th, 7:00 pm

…

Chiyo, Tomo, Yomi, Osaka, Kaorin, and Sakaki all sat in Chiyo's house. Kagura and Heiko had gone over to Germany to visit Heiko's parents.

"So, you guys want to go out to Karaoke?" Chiyo asked.

"Yeah!" Tomo yelled, pumping her fist up into the air. "So long as Yomi doesn't have to go."

"Shut up!" Yomi yelled. "Last time, as I remember it, you didn't get a perfect, either!"

"At least I scored better than you did!" Tomo yelled, in a taunting tone.

"Would you please stop fighting?" Chiyo asked. "C'mon, it's getting close to Christmas!"

"Yeah, christmas…" Osaka said in a dreamy state. "yeah… kotatsu…"

"Anyway, off to Karaoke!" Tomo yelled.

As they all left, Kaorin and Sakaki lagged a little behind.

"Sakaki-san?" Kaorin asked.

"Joe's been gone for more than two and a half months now. Do you think…he'll still love me?" Sakaki asked.

Kaorin just smiled.

"He be insane not to still love you," Kaorin said, and she walked out the door.

This made Sakaki feel better, and she walked out the door with the rest of them.

…

Everybody was walking to the karaoke building.

Sakaki heard a small 'meow' come from an alleyway.

That sounded like a kitten, Sakaki thought.

She blushed, and followed the sound, despite everybody else walking away; too involved in the songs they were going to choose.

The meowing continued, and Sakaki continued to follow it.

Suddenly, someone jumped out from the shadows. They grabbed Sakaki's hands, pushed her up against one of the buildings, and pulled her hands above her head, and had them pinned up against the building.

"I-I don't have anything on me!" Sakaki said, her eyes closed, her head turned down, trying to get her hands unpinned.

"You mean you weren't after that cat?" the guy asked.

Sakaki opened her eyes in surprise, and looked up at the face of her attacker.

Joe stood there with a big smile on his face. He was wearing contacts, but he had big bags under his eyes. It was obvious he was tired.

Sakaki smiled.

"You're wearing contacts," Sakaki pointed out.

"Yes, I am," Joe said. "So I can do this better…"

Joe kissed Sakaki in a very romantic way. Without his glasses getting in the way, he could get much closer, and give more lip contact (and so his glasses wouldn't fog up, if you know what I mean ;) ).

He came back from the kiss, and both he and Sakaki let off a breath. The steam from both of them could be easily seen.

Joe let go of Sakaki's hands.

"I really missed you," Sakaki said.

"I really missed you, too," Joe said.

The both of them let off into a very romantic kissing spree.

The snow around them began to melt as they continued.

After a few minutes, Sakaki pulled Joe slightly back, and cleared her throat as she looked over in the direction she had come from. Joe looked in that direction.

Every last one of the Azu-girls was standing there with an almost laughing face.

"Missed her that much, huh?" Chiyo said.

"The snow's completely melted around you two," Yomi said.

"Things getting a little hot over here?" Tomo asked

Kaorin just stood there with a smile. She finally understood what Sakaki meant by a nice guy.

"Hey guys. Been a while," Joe said, as he pushed off the wall.

"A really long time, by the looks of it." Yomi said.

"Ha ha. Very funny," Joe said. "So, you guys were going to go sing Karaoke? Mind if I join you?"

"Not a bit. Just keep the heat down." Chiyo said.

"Kissy, kissy," Tomo said, and made a puckered up face.

"At least I have a girlfriend," Joe said.

"Ouch," Chiyo said.

"Burn," Yomi said, with a big smile.

"Jerk." Tomo said, as she crossed her arms, and looked away in irritation.

"Well, shall we get going?" Kaorin asked, who had been silent all this time.

…

At the Karaoke building

…

Chiyo had actually managed to get a decent score of 87.

Kaorin scored a 92.

Sakaki got a 98.

Osaka scored a 75 (surprising for Osaka)

Yomi scored a whopping 12.

Joe, singing Fighting Dreamers, scored a 52 (his timing was off, and his singing wasn't all that great.

Then up came Tomo. She had an evil smile on her face that made Yomi a little nervous.

Before the song even began, Tomo said into the microphone: "A, B, X, Y, L1, R1, X, Triangle, Left, Right, Down"

The screen displayed "Cheat Code Used!"

"Tomo, you cheater!!" Yomi screamed.

"Don't worry, it's only to play a different song." Tomo assured her.

Joe would have to check later, right now, he was just going to let Tomo get away with it.

The song that started up was:

"Hardware Store?" Joe asked. "By Weird Al Yankovic? Since when did you start listening to Weird Al?"

"Since I illegally downloaded some of his songs," Tomo said.

Joe snickered as he remembered the song "Don't download this song"

"But I highly doubt you can sing this song." Joe said confidently.

"Really?" Tomo asked, sounding like it was a bet.

"Joe, what are you guys talking about?" Chiyo asked. "I completely missed most of it."

All of the other Azu-girls also missed it.

"Weird Al is a parody singer in America," Joe said, as he watched Tomo start the song. "And Hardware song is a very fast paced song."

"I think you're underestimating Tomo's energy," Yomi said, sitting back.

"hehe…we'll see," Joe said, still feeling pretty confident.

…

Tomo made it easily through most of the song. But Joe still wore that confident smile.

"Here it comes…" Joe said.

Tomo took deep breaths. She had listened to the song multiple times, and knew precisely what was coming.

The song went: "Would you look at all that stuff…"

Tomo took in one last breath, and began singing again: "They got…"

As Tomo sang through this part of the song (perfectly), Joe's smile slowly disappeared, and was replaced by a face of pure shock.

All of the girls also got a shocked expression on their faces as well, as the song really picked up in pace, and Tomo was singing it perfectly.

"…generators, matching salt and pepper shakers."

As Tomo finished this part, and then finished the song, everybody's face remained stunned.

The screen displayed Tomo's score: 100

"And that," Tomo said in a taunting tone, with an evil smile on her face, "is that's how it's done."

Joe would check the cheat later. It only unlocked the song, nothing else.

…

Author's notes: I always thought of ways to stretch out Tomo's energy to the max. I was listening to Hardware store, and I can sing every part, except for the point in which he lists the stuff. I can't get anything.

Another note: Tomo's English is bad. We all know this. But to sing a song, you don't need to know what the words mean (Prime example: I still don't know what half of the words mean in the Japanese songs I listen to, but I can sing them perfectly, after looking up the lyrics)

Also, I have no idea if you can activate cheat codes on Japanese Karaoke machines. (But it would be funny if you could)

Next Chapter: Christmas Day


	37. Christmas Day

Christmas Day

…

Timeskip: December 25th (Christmas Day)

…

Sakaki called her parents and wished them a Merry Christmas. Joe called his parents all the way over in America, and wished them a Merry Christmas as well.

They both then kneeled next to each other to give each other their presents.

"Here you go, Sakaki. Merry Christmas" Joe said, as he handed his present to Sakaki.

Sakaki opened it to find a t-shirt. She unfolded the t-shirt, and gasped at it. On the t-shirt was a picture of Mayaa and Yama, curled up with Ichi, Ni, and San. And they were all sleeping.

"Thank you very much," Sakaki said, smiling and happy with her present. "When did you…?"

"Lots of connections, Sakaki," Joe said with a smile.

Sakaki then gave Joe his present. Sakaki had put the game in a box, so Joe couldn't guess what it was.

Joe opened it up, and pulled the game out of the box.

He sat there, staring at it, in a stunned silence.

"Joe?" Sakaki asked.

"W-w-w-when did you get this? The stores are still sold out, with reservations being pushed back into late January." Joe said, still staring stunned at Super Smash Bros Brawl in his hands

"I got it on the first day it came out," Sakaki said.

"How? From what I heard from the people at work, the lines were supposed to be hell." Joe said, looking over at Sakaki.

"I was 10th in line, but I waited a whole day. I knew you wanted it," Sakaki said.

Joe looked back at the game, as tears began to form in Joe's eyes as this new information was given to him. He knew precisely how cold and snowy it was on the 2nd and 3rd.

He dropped the game, and went right up and hugged Sakaki fiercely. Tears were rivering down his eyes.

"You are an awesome girlfriend!!" Joe said, as he hugged tight.

Sakaki slowly wrapped her arms around Joe.

I guess this makes up for the Mayaa documents, Sakaki thought.

Joe had never felt like this before. Someone would actually sit out in the cold…for him. Nobody had ever done so before.

At that moment, both Joe and Sakaki finally felt a true love connection between each other. (And that night, they would cuddle up with each other closer than they ever have before)

…

Chiyo walked through her house after opening all her presents.

She reached her room, and saw one final present sitting on her bed.

She went over to it, and read the tag.

"To: Chiyo

From: All your friends

PS: We wanted to give you the star they always put on the tree in the square, but we figured this was better."

Chiyo opened the present, and gasped. Her eyes went wide.

"How…did they get this?" was all Chiyo could muster.

Sitting in the package was a laminated piece of paper with a frame around it. What was on the paper was the signature of every last player on the Yomiuri Giants for that year.

…

Yomi saw a package sitting on the guest bed where she was sleeping (she was visiting her parents for the holiday). It read:

"To: Yomi

From: All your friends (even Tomo)

"

Yomi opened it up, and gasped.

"How…?!" was all Yomi could muster as well.

Sitting inside the package were dieting pills. But there's more to them than just that.

They were the super diet pills that were guaranteed to help you lose weight within weeks, no matter what you ate (100 effective, seriously). But the pills were on backorder for about a year, and it took forever for the company to make even one more bottle (a good two weeks).

But inside the package was, not one, but two whole bottles of pills. 200 pills per bottle, which meant that one bottle would only last a person about 6 ½ months, before having to reorder again.

Which meant Yomi had a good year's supply of these super diet pills.

Yomi's stood there, completely stunned, holding the pill bottle in her shaking hand.

(Also, the diet pills came with a warning: "No side effects. Will only eliminate 90 of body fat)

…

Tomo was walking up the stairs of her parent's house (after having a nice Christmas morning).

Maybe I've gone soft. Helping those guys get gifts for everybody, Tomo thought.

She went up to the guest room, and found another present.

"Ah, I missed one?!" Tomo exclaimed in surprise, and ran over to it.

Tomo read the tag (you should know what it says by now), and opened it up.

Tomo, the usually energetic Tomo, froze as she saw what was in the package.

"L-l-l-Lupin the Third, Volume 1?!" she was on the verge of tears, as she thought to her manga collection at home.

She had every last volume of Lupin the third, except for #1, because it had gotten lost somewhere in her childhood, and she had never found it. It made her feel heartbroken every time she looked at her collection.

The Volume 1 she had lost had had a tear in the top right hand corner, with "Tomo Takino" written on the back part of the front cover. The book she now held in her hand was brand new.

She had tried going all over the Internet for them, but Volume 1 was no longer available anywhere, and Ebay had them going for well over 100,000 yen (somewhere close to $1,000 US)

"YOU GUYS ARE AWSOME!!" Tomo yelled with both her fists in the air, tears rivering down her face.

…

Osaka was lying under the kotatsu when she felt something brush up against her leg. She pulled the kotatsu off her legs, and saw the package that was sitting there.

Osaka opened it up, and smiled.

A battery-powered heating blanket, so now she could take the power of the kotatsu with her anywhere (also had an A/C adapter, so you really don't need batteries if you have an outlet)

"Thanks, guys," Osaka said, as she pulled the kotatsu over her bottom half, and covered her top half with the heating blanket (without any batteries) and fell asleep.

…

Kagura was walking up to her room in her parent's house. All throughout the Germany trip, and all the way home, all she and Heiko did was fight. This was beginning to get on Kagura's nerves, so she was staying with her parents for Christmas.

Kagura came up to her room, and noticed the package sitting on her bed. She checked the tag to make sure it wasn't from Heiko, then opened the package.

Kagura's eyes went wide.

Inside were training weights. Around the outer part of 5 of the weights were a protective plastic covering. The protective plastic covering was protecting the signatures (made in permanent marker) of the Swimming Olympic Champions from the past 5 Summer Olympics.

Kagura lifted the weights out of the package and stared at them, mouth open. She brought them close to her body, and shed a tear of happiness.

"Thanks, guys," Kagura said "For being such great friends."

…

Yukari was sitting at her house (aka her parents house), and began walking up to her bedroom. She had gotten nothing practical for Christmas, just a few random items, along with the book "Safe driving for dummies" (to which Yukari responded "I am not a dummy, and my driving's fine!") As she reached her room, a present sat right in front of the door. Yukari lifted it up, and ran into her room with it.

She opened it to find the exact same pillow Nyamo had at her house (the 10,000 yen one)

(The girls had asked Nyamo what Yukari would want for Christmas)

Yukari slowly pulled it out of the package, and squeezed it. She could tell it was new, because it was much newer than Nyamo's was.

Yukari would have run over to Nyamo's and rubbed it in her face, but she felt really tired at that point, and fell asleep on her new pillow.

…

Nyamo was also sitting at home. She reached into her closet to pull out her jacket to go for a walk, when she noticed a package sitting in her closet.

She opened it to reveal a love letter that Yukari was supposed to have (as blackmail), along with a note:

"We didn't read it. We knew Yukari had something on you, so we got it from her.

Some old students

PS: We used a PS2 game that was sold out in stores to get it from her"

Nyamo took the letter out of the small package, and this time, hid it well enough so that Yukari wouldn't get it.

…

Kaorin went to her room (which was downstairs) and noticed a package. She opened it. Her heart started racing, as she lifted the present out of the package.

In it was the picture of Sakaki and Kaorin, taken all the way back in high school. Next to it was the picture of Sakaki and Kaorin, standing outside the Yamamayaa Pet Hospital. And both of them were in frames.

Kaorin quickly hung them on the wall.

This is the best Christmas ever! Kaorin thought.

And truth be told, she was probably right.

…

Author's notes: In case your wondering why Osaka got what seemed to be the easiest present, running through every last one of the Azumanga Daioh episodes, the only thing she was ever found to be obsessed with was Chiyo's pigtails, and kotatsu's.

I wanted to give her Chiyo's pigtails, but I don't think that would have worked out well XP

Off-subject: Searching Wikipedia, I found that the voice actor (Japanese) for Sakaki was the same voice actor for Motoko Aoyama of Love Hina.

Creepy Part: Those are my two favorite characters from those series.

Next Chapter: The snowball fight, the final chapter in the winter saga


	38. The Snowball Fight, End Winter Saga

The Snowball fight, the final chapter of the Winter Saga

…

Timeskip: January 2st, next year

…

As if drawn to it by some magical force, Kagura, Kaorin, Osaka, Chiyo, Yomi, and Tomo all came to the fence right outside the high school's track field. (Which is covered in snow)

They all just kind of stared at each other in new admiration, each of them having gotten presents from the others.

After a moment, they all just bowed to each other.

"So, Yomi, been using those diet pills?" Tomo asked, in a very sincere way (Oh my god, something you'll never hear)

"Yes, and I can tell it's already working," Yomi said, having already lost a few pounds while eating Christmas food. "How's the manga comic?"

"Great. Thank you, so much," Tomo said. Her usual energetic want to annoy or be mean to people was gone (at least for a little bit)

"So, where are Joe and Sakaki-san?" Kaorin asked.

Joe and Sakaki came up to the school, walking arm in arm.

"We figured you guys would be here," Joe said.

As they walked up to the group, Chiyo gasped.

We didn't get them anything! Chiyo thought.

"I guess you probably thought of it, eh, Chiyo?" Joe said. "Yeah, Sakaki and I were the ones to organize getting all of you guys the specialty presents."

"You guys organized that?" Yomi asked.

"Although you guys got the presents, Sakaki and I figured it would be nice to do something special for you guys, since you don't have any boyfriends, and Kagura's been having troubles with hers." Joe said.

"Yeah, it really helped cheer me up," Kagura said. "Thanks."

"Hey, we should have a snowball fight, right in the school yard, like we used to!" Tomo said energetically.

She was answered by a snowball to the back of the head.

"Ha! Gotcha already!" Yomi yelled from across the schoolyard.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Tomo yelled, as she ran to the schoolyard, picking up some snow on the way, and throwing a snowball at Yomi, who dodged easily.

Chiyo, Kagura, Osaka, Kaorin, and Sakaki all ran into the school yard to start throwing snowballs.

Heh heh heh…must be nice having snowball fights for fun instead of wars, Joe thought.

Let's see how well they do in war, Joe thought.

He took off his super thick gloves, and pulled out from his pocket a second set of gloves, that were much lighter, and much thinner. He then picked up a pinch of snow, and rubbed it between his fingers. He smiled evilly.

Perfect, he thought.

…

Osaka did her usual "pick up a bunch of snowballs, and throw them into the air" trick, which most of the girls easily dodged.

Sakaki seemed to be moving seamlessly through the snow.

"It's been a while since I've had a snowball fight!" Chiyo said as she dodged another snowball from Tomo, and ducked one from Kagura. "The southern part of the United States rarely get enough snow to make snowballs!"

"They don't know what they're missing!" Kagura said, as she threw one at Kaorin, who barely dodged, as she had just ducked one from Yomi.

"Hey, Sakaki, where's your b…" Chiyo asked, looking around. Her eyes stopped on Joe, and the snowball in her hand dropped.

Tomo (who was on the other team) noticed Chiyo's frozen stare as she was picking up another snowball. She followed Chiyo's stare, noticed what she was staring at, and froze, with the face of total fear.

"Tomo, what the hell are you doing?! I need cover!" Kagura yelled, as she dodged another from Sakaki.

"Kagura…look…" Tomo said in fear, and pointed.

Kagura and Osaka, who were on Tomo's side, looked at where Tomo was pointing, and now froze, also in total fear.

Sakaki, Yomi, and Kaorin now noticed this, and looked themselves.

Every last Azu-girl now had the look of pure fear, and every last one of them had dropped the snowballs they had in their hands.

Joe was standing in front of the school, so he had a clear shot at every last Azu-girl. The ground around him was completely bare of any snow whatsoever. And in his right hand were snowballs, stacked up on top of each other a good three miles up.

And he had one of the most evil smiles you'll ever see.

"I hail from the upper part of the United States," Joe said. "Up there, the snow reaches up to a good two feet, unlike here. We don't have snowball fights there, we have snowball wars."

Every last Azu-girl started backing up slowly. Except for Tomo, who picked up the snowball she had been building, and threw it right at Joe.

Without moving his right hand, Joe simply moved out of the way of the incoming snowball, and moved back to his position.

"We all have come up with our own snowball maneuvers to really turn it to war. Let me show you mine!" and with that, Joe threw the snowball stack up into the air.

He then began to spin his entire right arm around slowly (looking at his right shoulder, his arm would be spinning clockwise). It then began spinning faster and faster, until it was spinning so fast you couldn't see it anymore.

The snowballs had hit the peak of the throw, and were now coming back down.

"COVER!!" Yomi yelled, and the Azu-girls started to run for the three trees that were in the school yard.

"Too late!" Joe yelled. "WINTER FURY!"

The snowballs started hitting the spin on Joe's arm. They made a shooting noise as they hit the spin, and shot out at Joe's target. So in all reality, it really sounded like they were getting shot at by a machine gun filled with snowballs.

Osaka got hit in the back 5 times (bambambambambam), and fell to the ground.

Tomo got hit in the left and right leg, which got her into the air. She was then hit in the arms to make her spin while she was in the air. She fell to the ground on her back, the spinning still going in her eyes.

Kaorin was hit in the arm, which threw her off balance. Another hit her in the leg immediately after that, which spun her slightly, and made her fall to the ground.

Yomi then tripped over Kaorin, and fell to the ground herself. She was then hit in the back with 5 snowballs all at once.

Which left only Sakaki, Chiyo, and Kagura to hide behind the trees (one for each tree). The firing of the snowballs continued, hitting the trees they were hiding behind.

Some snow fell in front of Kagura. She looked, but didn't figure it out in time. The snowballs that Joe was throwing were shaking the trees making snow fall out of them. More snow fell out of the tree, and this time hit Kagura right on the head.

"ARGH!! IT WENT DOWN MY BACK!! COLD!! COLD!!" Kagura screamed. She tried reaching back to get the snow out of her back, but in doing so, gave up her cover.

WHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAM!! The snowballs hit Kagura so fast and hard, she was pushed up right against the fence, and fell to the ground.

"You two…are the only ones left…" Kagura said.

Sakaki and Chiyo both checked their trees to make sure that no snow was up there to drop on them. Turns out poor Kagura was the unlucky one, having picked the only tree to have snow on it.

The snowballs continued hitting the trees that Sakaki and Chiyo were hiding behind. Then, just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped.

Joe stopped the spinning of his arm. His shoulder was sore from the spinning, but that he was expecting. He hadn't used that attack since before he went off to college.

Sakaki and Chiyo looked to make sure Joe just wasn't bluffing them out.

"Hey, Sakaki, I have a plan," Chiyo said.

Chiyo began whispering to Sakaki, who nodded as she heard it.

…

"Ah, crap," Joe said to himself, though he was still smiling. "Chiyo's planning something with Sakaki. This could be bad. Better prepare myself."

He cracked his shoulder so it would stop aching, and then left his spot to grab more snow for snowballs.

…

Sakaki and Chiyo grabbed their snowballs.

"Ready, Sakaki-san?"

"Ready, Chiyo-chan"

…

Joe had two snowballs (one for each hand).

Sakaki came running out of her hiding place behind the tree. She had her game face on.

Sakaki threw the snowball in her right hand. Joe simply moved out of the way.

Sakaki moved the other snowball from her left hand to right hand, and stopped dead in her tracks. She was only a few feet away from Joe. They stared each other down.

Joe just kept smiling.

He then threw the snowball, not in his right (dominate) hand, but in his left.

It had nowhere near the same accuracy or power as all the snowballs from his right hand, but Sakaki dodged it all the same, and then took the opportunity to throw the snowball in her right hand.

But what she hadn't seen was that Joe had thrown the other snowball from his right hand right at her.

The two snowballs hit in midair, and smashed into a million pieces. (Note: For those of you who haven't snowball fought before, this is really cool when it happens, for it rarely ever does)

Joe and Sakaki stood there for a minute, then Sakaki quickly bent down to pick up another snowball. As she did, however, Joe now saw Chiyo, standing right behind Sakaki. Chiyo had used Sakaki as cover.

Chiyo threw the snowball in her right hand. Joe simply moved out of the way (he slid left). Chiyo quickly switched the snowball in her left hand to her right, and threw this one.

Crap! Joe thought. Stopping in the snow to change directions was no easy matter. He moved his body weight forward, and his leg slid out from underneath him. He rolled, and avoided the snowball that had been thrown at him.

Then a snowball hit him right in the back. Joe looked back to see Sakaki, who had just finished throwing the snowball, with a smile on her face. She had waited for Joe to jump, and thrown the snowball she had picked up, and with Joe in a roll, he never saw her throw it.

"Checkmate," Chiyo said with a smile, "You lose."

Joe stood up, smiling. He had been beaten, on his own home turf (the snow).

"Yeah, I guess you guys beat me. But, was I to expect anything less from a child genius and my girlfriend?"

…

"So, you actually lived in the northern part of the United States." Kagura said. They were all walking home after the snowball fight (war). "But then how did you go to school with Chiyo?"

"I had gone to Massachusetts for about 2 years, and had completed my degree, when Chiyo showed up. I was the only one on campus who could speak Japanese, so the president of the school asked me to stay longer, and help Chiyo get accustomed to American life. I could barely contain my excitement, as I had studied the language and culture, but had never actually met a Japanese person up to that point." Joe explained. "And I've gotta say, I'm glad I did."

Joe's eyes went over to Sakaki, who was arm-in-arm with him again.

Yomi sighed.

"When am I going to get that?" Yomi asked.

Tomo opened her mouth to speak.

"Tomo, you say one word, and I'll stuff your entire Lupin manga collection down your throat," Yomi said.

Tomo decided (just this once) it might be better to just shut up.

"Don't worry, Yomi," Joe said reassuringly. "You'll get a boyfriend." (Spoiler!!)

"Well, I hope she gets a better one than I have," Kagura said, disheartened.

"Why did you start dating Heiko anyway?" Chiyo asked.

"Because I really wanted to get back at Yukari. She had spoken to some German guy, without knowing German, and just minutes ago she had made fun of me for not doing so well on my English" Kagura said.

Everybody eyes slitted as they looked at Kagura.

"That's it?" Yomi asked.

"Well, yeah, and he was at the Olympics, so I figured we had the same interests," Kagura said with a smile, and one hand on the back of her head.

Everybody sighed at Kagura.

"What?" Kagura asked.

…

Author's notes: I don't want to hear any sick jokes about snowballs (or balls in general, for that matter). Thank you for your understanding.

(realizes where he is in the story, and jumps for joy) Yes!! Next saga is the relationship saga!! We timeskip to Spring!!

Oh, and I also promise to have the names be a bit more creative than "Joe", although most of the girls will end up dating Japanese guys, I'm thinking. (And "Joe" seems like a very American name, don't you think?)

See you guys in the next saga (yes!!)

JBK2K1


	39. The Dreadful Day

The Dreadful Day

Note: This is a filler chapter before the relationship saga begins.

…

Tomo walked in to her house after a long day's work. Even though it was Monday, tomorrow was a day off, and she was looking forward to it. Those kids always drove her nuts.

She walked by her calendar, and glanced at it as she walked by. She then zoomed back to it, her eyes glued on what day was tomorrow.

She smiled so evilly, that the devil himself shivered in fear.

…

Tomo spent the entire rest of the day lying in bed, planning. It was about 10:00pm when she finally came up with an idea. She sat up in bed.

"Hey, Yomi-san and Kurosawa-sensei haven't drunk the secret sodas yet…" Tomo said to herself.

But then she put her head back on her pillow.

"But, Joe only ever keeps one soda in the fridge, the rest is locked away in his, uh..." Tomo tries to think of the name, but can't, "… safe"

The name of the safe then comes to Tomo.

"Oh, yeah, it's the…"

She sits up in bed, as another thought hits her.

"Wait a minute, I think I saw that name on the Internet before, with a way to break into it!!"

Tomo then ran her computer, booted it up, and started up the Internet. She Google's "Super High-tech Information Technology Safe", and the very first site lists "weaknesses"

Tomo reads it, and then prints off the page.

…

11:30, same night

…

Tomo sneaks to Sakaki's house (Joe and Sakaki had moved out of their apartment, and had moved into a house since Joe's big paycheck)

She picks the door, and then slowly sneeks in, and closes the door behind her.

She turns around slowly, and turns on her flashlight she brought with her.

She then pushes herself up against the door, as she sees every last Iriomote cat Sakaki owns staring at her.

Tomo, shaking in fear, reaches into her pocket, and pulls out five bags of catnip, one for each cat. She then throws the bags over into the corner.

Four out of the five cats run over to the bags. One just stands there, and continues to stare at Tomo.

Tomo decides that this cat just isn't going to move. So, very slowly, she moves herself along the wall, going past Sakaki's closed bedroom door. The entire time, the one Iriomote continues to stare at her, moving his body only so that he can stare at her more.

Tomo reaches into her pocket, and pulls out the instructions and a magnet. She sets the instructions down on the floor, and begins to read them.

"Ok," Tomo "Place magnet in between DNA scanner and fingerprint scanner" she did so.

"Now, rub magnet back and forth on safe" she started doing so

"After about 30 seconds, safe should open" she then focused her light on the safe, and began rubbing back and forth very fast.

Clunk! The safe opened up.

Tomo ran her flashlight over the cans and cans of super soda. There was just so much of it…

Tomo reached in, and pulled one can out. Then the thought hit her.

"I completely forgot to bring anything to carry these with…" Tomo said to herself.

She grabbed another can, and put one can in each pocket. She then grabbed three more, and held on to them. Then slowly sneaking back out (around the Iriomote, who was still watching her), she made a mad dash for Yomi's house.

…

Next morning, 7:30 am

…

Yomi woke up, immediately went to the bathroom, and took one of her super diet pills. She then put in her contacts (which made her look sexier than her glasses)

She then went downstairs, and took out a regular soda from the fridge.

It's so nice to finally be able to drink regular soda instead of diet, Yomi thought, as she opened it up.

…

Over at Sakaki's house, Joe snapped awake.

"Sakaki, wake up!" Joe said, and started shaking her slightly. "Wake up!"

"uuuuugh…" Sakaki moaned, eyes still closed. "What is it?"

"Someone opened up a can of secret soda!" Joe said.

"You should really consider keeping it all locked up," Sakaki said, in an I'm-cranky-because-you-just-woke-me-up tone.

"But then if I wanted one, it wouldn't be cold, and it would take a good five minutes to get to it," Joe said.

Sakaki sighed. "I'm going back to sleep. You go find out who's drinking it."

"Fiiiiine," Joe said, as he got up. He grabbed a change of clothes, and walked out of the closed door.

It should be noted here, that Joe and Sakaki were keeping the door closed because now one cat in particular seemed to really hate Joe, but love Sakaki. She was the only female out of the three Iriomote kittens, and she seemed to really enjoy biting Joe (especially when he and Sakaki were cuddled up in the futon)

It should also be noted that none of the Iriomote cats could sleep with them anymore, because if any of the other Iriomote cats slept with Joe and Sakaki, the rest would paw at the door and meow, keeping Joe and Sakaki awake.

Joe opened the door, and made sure that the one female Iriomote was not there.

"Good thing we're getting their name's changed in the spring," Joe said to himself. "Naming them after numbers was so…Tomo-ish"

Then he noticed one of the Iriomote cats, just sitting in the center of the living room. He looked up, and began staring at Joe.

"That one in particular is creeping me out," Joe said.

His first observation was that four out of the five Iriomote cats were playing with catnip, which he and Sakaki had never given them.

His next observation would make his heart jump to his throat.

His safe was wide open. And on the floor right by the safe, as he ran up to it, were instructions on how to break into the safe.

He counted all the soda in his safe, and compared it with the stock list he had sitting in the safe.

Someone had stolen five super sodas.

"SAKAKI!!" Joe yelled. "SOMEONE BROKE INTO MY SAFE!!"

"LET ME SLEEP!!" Sakaki yelled (in an irritated tone, very unlike Sakaki)

"YOU HAVE TO GET UP IN A HALF AN HOUR ANYWAY!!" Joe yelled back.

Sakaki came walking out of the room, a very irritated look on her face. The female Iriomote came running up to Sakaki as she walked up to Joe.

"We are sleeping with the door open tonight," Sakaki said in an irritated tone, her arms crossed.

"But…hugh" Joe hung his head. He had done it now. Sakaki was irritated with him. She always woke up in her happy mood when she woke up to her alarm.

Sakaki turned around, and closed the door so she could get dressed.

"I'm so not sleeping tonight," Joe said, tears rivering down his face.

The female Iriomote smiled evilly. She was going to have some fun tonight.

…

Yomi drank the whole soda down, as she walked through her kitchen, and glanced at the calendar as she walked by.

She then zoomed back, and looked at the calendar in absolute horror.

It was April 1st. April Fool's day.

…

"So, why did we close school today?" The Dean of Students asked the principal. They had just happened to meet each other walking.

"Because, April Fools day is today," the Principal said.

"Ah," the Dean of Students replied. "So, Tomo-chan?"

"Yes, Tomo-chan," The principal replied grimly.

…

Yomi looked at her now empty can of soda, and prayed that Tomo hadn't put anything in it.

No, she couldn't have. It had been sealed when I got it, Yomi thought.

"Yooooooomi!" Tomo called out. "That soda that you drank, that's actually a can of Joe's super soda!!"

Yomi couldn't believe it. How did Tomo know she drank soda in the morning?

Yomi then felt the anger against Tomo rise. She began running to get outside.

But as she reached the living room, she could already feel herself slowing down.

…

Tomo sat outside, a big grin on her face. As Yomi opened the door, Tomo noticed already that the soda was beginning to take effect.

"pfff hahahaha!" Tomo laughed. "You're already getting fat again!!"

"Shut up!" Yomi yelled. But as she tried to get out of her doorway she got stuck. Her body was already three times what it had been before she started taking the diet pills. She was already looking like one of those super obese people that have trouble breathing.

"Tomo!!!" Yomi yelled.

Crrrrrrrrrrrrack! Yomi's doorway cracked open under the pressure of obese Yomi. She then began her waddle out to try to hit Tomo (who was already on the ground laughing)

Tomo stood up, and started walking down the road, backwards.

"C'mon, ya fat lard!" Tomo said, egging Yomi on.

Yomi reached the road, and then stopped. She couldn't go any further. Her body was expanding far too fast.

"T-" Yomi tried to yell at Tomo again, but this time it wouldn't work.

RIIIIIIIIIP! Yomi's clothes ripped right off, as she inflated to a super size. She turned over on to her side, because her legs could no longer hold her up.

She now looked like a gargantuan ball, with Yomi's head and arms on one end, and her feet on the other end.

And she began to roll.

Tomo's face turned from laughter to horror, as she realized that this gigantic ball could very easily crush her.

Tomo began running down the road, with the giant Yomi ball rolling behind her.

Just as she was about to get crushed, Tomo jumped on to the sidewalk, as the giant Yomi ball rolled right past her.

"Too close…" Tomo said, as she sat on the sidewalk, trying to catch her breath.

…

Down the road

…

"Finally, we have our skateboarding ramp set up!" One guy said.

"Dude, we only have one side done! We need to get the other side done!" Another guy said.

They both heard rumbling coming their way, as a giant ball came rolling, and went right up their skating ramp, and shot up into the air.

"Dude, what the hell was that?" One guy said.

"I think we need to stop smoking that weed, man," The other guy said.

…

Tomo sat on the ground, finally catching her breath, when the sky got dark.

"Huh, I didn't know there was a solar eclipse…" Tomo looked up, and noticed that the giant Yomi ball was now right above her. Tomo covered her eyes, as the giant Yomi ball was about to crush her.

…

Yomi landed right on top of Tomo. Yomi immediately looked at her hands.

She was back to normal. Better yet, she had actually gotten to the point of being even sexier than before.

"hehe…" Yomi said. "I'm…back to normal! Yeah!"

And she grabbed hold of the nearest available thing, and kissed it.

Which just happened to be Tomo.

It took about two seconds for her to realize what she had just done.

She pulled back slowly, with a look of horror on her face.

"We…" Tomo said grimly. "…will never speak of this moment again."

"Agreed," Yomi said in the same tone.

Too bad Joe was standing right there. He had come to hunt down Tomo, and when he didn't find her at her house, went to Yomi's, and noticed Tomo down the street.

Joe stood there, one hand over his eyes.

"Yomi, I would suggest you get some clothes on!" Joe said.

"Huh?" Yomi stood up, and checked herself. She was completely nude.

She immediately covered up 'the good parts' with her arms.

"Joe? I'm surprised at you." Tomo said as she stood up. "Why wouldn't you stare at the naked body of a woman like every other guy?"

"Because I have a girlfriend, and if I saw the naked body of another woman, I would feel like I cheated on her!" Joe said with his eyes still covered.

Yomi took this opportunity to dash behind Joe, grab his shoulders, and use him as something of a viewing shield.

"Then could you get me to my house?" Yomi asked.

"Yomi," Joe said, "Um…This is…kinda awkward, and…um…if Sakaki saw us…I really don't think she would take it well."

"Don't worry, if she sees us, I'll explain everything later," Yomi said reassuringly.

"Yeah, you were cheating on her!" Tomo exclaimed, with a big smile on her face.

"DOUBLE IRRITATION PUNCH!" Joe and Yomi both screamed, and hit Tomo square in the face, knocking her back.

"Ok, ready?" Joe asked.

"yeah, go for it," Yomi said.

And Joe and Yomi went side-stepping down the sidewalk back to Yomi's house.

…

Joe sat outside Yomi's door, as Yomi put on some clothes.

"So, how much did you see?" Yomi asked.

"Well, I saw you and Tomo kiss." Joe said. (Inside the room, Yomi shivered) "And I saw your bare butt. It was at that point that I deduced you were naked, and covered my eyes."

"So, I'll make you a deal," Yomi said. "I never mention that you saw me naked, and you never mention that Tomo and I kissed."

"Deal," Joe said with a smile.

…

Meanwhile, on the other side of town

…

Nyamo got up, and stretched out.

A knock came on her door.

"If that's you, Yukari, go away!" Nyamo said, irritated.

"UPS Delivery!" someone said outside.

"Oh," Nyamo said, feeling a little stupid. "I wasn't expecting a delivery…"

Nyamo went and opened the door.

"I'm your package!!" Yukari said in a very happy tone. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"I was kind of hoping to spend my off day on something a little better…" Nyamo said, now irritated, as Yukari pushed herself in.

"So…Hey, what's that can of soda?" Yukari asked, referring to a soda can conveniently placed on Nyamo's table. She picked it up.

Nyamo ran back, and quickly grabbed the soda out of Yukari's hand.

"No, no, no!!" Nyamo yelled. "I'm sick and tired of you constantly eating and drinking my stuff!! If anybody's going to drink the soda, it's going to be me!!"

And she opened the soda.

…

Back at Yomi's house

…

"Oh, no, not another one!!" Joe exclaimed, as he went running out of Yomi's house.

"Another what?" Yomi asked, as she came out of her room (fully dressed), and ran outside with Joe.

"Hey, Joe-san, don't you have to be at work?" Tomo asked. She had come walking up, finally recovered from the beating Joe and Yomi gave her.

"I don't have to work. I completed all my work for this week." Joe said calmly "Anywho…"

He grabbed Tomo by the collar and lifted her up, so they were face-to-face.

"WHO THE HELL HAS ANOTHER ONE OF MY SODAS?!" Joe screamed, his face now angry.

"N-N-Nyamo…" Tomo said in fear.

Joe dropped Tomo and went running off.

"Wait, you don't know where she lives!" Yomi screamed.

Joe stopped dead in his tracks, and turned around, with an 'I'm stupid' look on his face.

"Oh…yeah…hehe" Joe said, rubbing the back of his head with one hand.

"Well, I do!" Yomi said. "Taxi!!"

A taxi instantly pulled up from the completely deserted road.

"How in the hell does that work?" Joe asked, as he walked back to the taxi.

"What?" Yomi asked.

"You call for a taxi; he instantly appears out of nowhere. How does that work?" Joe asked.

"We have our ways, Mister…" the taxi driver said mysteriously.

"You know, if I tell this to Osaka, she's going to make all sorts of wild, ridiculous claims." Joe said to Yomi.

"We know Ms. Osaka as well…she's such a nice girl…" The taxi driver said.

Yomi and Joe both shivered, but got into the taxi anyway.

"hehehe…" Tomo snickered evilly as the taxi drove off. "That will send them to the other side of town. In the meantime, I've got something else planned."

Tomo began walking calmly back to her house. She was already enjoying this April Fools.

…

Yomi and Joe came bursting in to Nyamo's apartment.

"Wow, this seems…nice." Yomi complemented.

"Yomi, now is not the time," Joe said as he walked up to the table where an empty soda can lay. Joe shook the can, and heard just the tiniest bit of it in the bottom. He drank what was left.

"Yeah, that's the secret soda alright," Joe said.

"So…where's Nyamo?" Yomi asked.

Joe looked around the apartment some more. He noticed that the apartment was very clean and organized.

Both Yomi and Joe then heard a noise coming from the closet.

"Yomi, you'd better open it." Joe said a little nervously.

"Why?" Yomi asked.

"Well…I've had bad experiences with my secret soda. You'd better open it." Joe said. He went and sat on the bed to make sure he couldn't see anything. He had a bad feeling about this.

Yomi opened the closet, then quickly closed it.

"So, what happened?" Joe asked.

Yomi ran to the bathroom (which luckily had the door open) and threw up.

"Yomi, are you OK?" Joe asked as he stood up.

"Don't open the closet door!!" Yomi screamed.

The closet door opened, and Nyamo came walking out. She was blushing in pure embarrassment, and her eyes also showed it.

"Um, Nyamo, what happened?" Joe asked.

Yukari came walking out of the closet, but she looked sickened.

"Nyamo…made love…to me…" Yukari then put her hand over her mouth, as her face turned a shade of green.

Yukari then ran to the bathroom, pushed Yomi out of the way, and threw up.

"Yukari-sensei…what are you doing in Nyamo's clothes?" Yomi asked.

Joe looked at Nyamo. Nyamo was wearing clothes he would expect Yukari to be wearing.

"Nyamo…" Yukari moaned. "I threw up on your clothes a little bit…"

"Um…that's OK, I don't want them back now…too many…bad memories…" Nyamo said, still a little shaken up.

Joe then heard another secret soda open.

"Damn it!!" Joe said, as he pulled out his cell phone, and dialed Tomo.

"Tomo, who the hell has my soda now?!" Joe yelled into his cell phone.

"hehehe…I do," Tomo said.

And with that, Joe heard "gulp, gulp, gulp, gulp…" indicating Tomo was drinking the soda down.

"This time, Joe-san," Tomo said evilly, "My effects won't be interrupted."

And with that, Tomo hung up.

"I hate to leave you guys, but I have to go. Tomo's causing trouble!" Joe said, and ran off.

Joe ran outside, and started running down the street. About one block away from Nyamo's apartment, he saw a patch of dust coming his way.

"Here she comes…" Joe said, preparing for Tomo's arrival.

Joe felt a strong wind go by.

"What the…?" Joe said, but the dust then kicked up. The dust had a good 3-second delay on Tomo.

Joe coughed, as dust got into his mouth and eyes.

Tomo came zooming back around the block, zoomed right past Joe, and kept going.

A few people began snickering.

"What?" Joe asked. They continued to snicker.

Joe looked down at himself. Tomo had switched his clothes when she ran by. He was now in a bright pink dress.

"DAMN YOU, TOMO!!!" Joe yelled, as he stomped off.

…

Sakaki came home from work, still feeling a little angry with Joe. She walked in the door, and all of her anger was gone.

She slapped her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Joe was standing there, still in his bright pink dress, and he was trying to reach behind his back.

"Sakaki, could you help me with this?" Joe asked. "I…can't seem to…grr…get this off!"

Sakaki couldn't hold back anymore. She began laughing. Hard.

"C'mon, I got enough of that from everybody who saw me!" Joe said.

Sakaki fell on the ground, tears flying down her face, and had to grab her sides, she was laughing so hard.

Joe sighed.

"That damn Tomo…I'm so going to get her back for this…" Joe mumbled.

…

Author's Notes: Anywho, sorry if it seems like I'm cutting the soda effects short, but I really want to get to the relationships, but I needed to get the soda effects out of the way.

In case you're wondering, Yomi went to throw up because she saw Nyamo and Yukari…um…naked, 'making love' (cough)

Next Chapter: Ode to Osaka, begin Relationship Saga

Osaka fans may leap for joy at the next chapter.


	40. Ode to Osaka, begin Relation saga

Ode to Osaka, begin Relationship saga

Note: For those Osaka fans out there, you may just leap for joy at this chapter.

…

Sometime in May

…

It was now springtime.

The snow had all melted…

the flowers were blooming…

the birds were chirping…

and love was in the air.

"IT'S ENOUGH TO MAKE ME SICK!!" Tomo screamed.

…

"Geez, all this loving, and singing, and happiness, bleck!" Tomo said, sitting in front of her class.

"Sensei? Aren't you going to get a boyfriend?" Michiru asked.

"Pffft! Boyfriends are for weak-hearted girls!! I'm going to stay single forever!" Tomo screamed, and pump-fisted into the air.

"That's my student!!" Everybody heard Yukari yell from down the hall.

Everybody sweat-dropped.

…

Next day

…

Joe and Sakaki walked out of Sakaki's house. Sakaki was holding two of the Iriomote kittens (now cats) in her arms. Joe was holding one. They were going to go get their names changed (finally)

They were both walking down the road with the cats in arms when Joe noticed something.

"Sakaki-san, did you see that?!" Joe asked, looking down the street.

Sakaki looked down the street to see absolutely nothing.

Joe grabbed her arm, (and the female Iriomote that Sakaki was carrying bit him) and started running down the street, running precisely one block. He then looked around the corner.

"No…way…" Joe said.

Sakaki looked, and even she had to gasp.

…

Earlier that morning, in the view of Osaka

…

Osaka was walking on her way to school. She was staring up at the sky, thinking to herself.

"What if Tomo had pigtails like Chiyo-chan? There wouldn't be much to control from Tomo…" Osaka said to herself.

Then Osaka crashed right into someone else who had not been paying attention to where they were going.

"I'm sorry," Osaka said as she stood back up.

"No, it's my fault," the guy said. He was about the same height as Osaka, had short, light brown hair, and wore a suit.

"I guess I wasn't watching where I was going," Osaka said.

"Neither was I," the guy said, "I was just thinking to myself how I went shopping yesterday, and I still can't remember the difference between the elevator and escalator."

"Really? I always get the two confused." Osaka said

"Me, too" the guy said. "Most of the guys at my workplace don't get why, because I'm so good at riddles."

"Really? So am I!" Osaka said. She decided to then test it out. "What is so fragile when you say it's name it breaks?"

"Silence," the guy replied, "A woman has 7 children, and half of them are boys. How is this possible?"

"Because all of them are boys," Osaka said. "What is not known until it is measured, yet it is missed when it has flown?"

"Time!" The guys said, sounding excited "What object has keys that open no locks, space but no room, and you can enter but not go in?"

"A keyboard!" Osaka said. She was starting to get excited as well. Then both of them tried to run a riddle, "A truck carrying pumpkins, tomatoes, and eggplants, it encounters a sharp curve, what drops?!"

"The speed!" They both said at the same time.

Osaka's and the guy's eyes both went half closed, and they both got a love-struck look on their face.

"I'm Arata Hibiki," the guy said.

"I'm Kasuga Ayumu, but everybody calls me Osaka," Osaka said.

"Osaka?" Hibiki said. "That's so 'bleh'. I like Kasuga-san better."

Osaka felt her heart race.

…

Now back to Joe and Sakaki, staring at Osaka and Hibiki.

And they are holding hands.

…

"You have got to be kidding," Joe said.

Sakaki remained stunned silent.

Then Sakaki snapped out of it, and went 'back to cool'.

"Let's go meet him," Sakaki said.

"Uh…sure," Joe said.

It might be interesting to see what kind of person would like Osaka. Maybe it's a cousin? Joe thought.

"Hey, Osaka-san!" Joe called out.

Osaka and Arata turned around, and Joe and Sakaki walked up to them.

The very first thing Joe noticed with this guy was he had the same stare as Osaka, which scared him a little bit.

"This is Arata Hibiki," Osaka said.

"I'm very pleased to meet you," Arata said.

"So, um, are you two related?" Joe asked.

Osaka looked at him like he was crazy. (And having Osaka look at you like your crazy isn't the best feeling in the world)

"No, we met this morning. Both he and I like each other. Geez, stay focused," Osaka said.

Joe had a big question mark form above his head.

"Hey, I like this Yamamayaa," Osaka said, staring at the cat in Joe's arms.

"Yamamayaa? Aren't those …" Arata never finished. Both he and Osaka were now staring at the cat in Joe's arms.

"Joe, I think I just got the perfect idea for that cat's name," Sakaki said with a sweat-drop.

"So do I," Joe said.

The cat Joe was holding kind of freaked both Joe and Sakaki a little. He had a serious staring problem.

Remember the cat that stared at Tomo when she broke into the safe? This was the one.

Joe covered the cat's eyes, which seemed to snap Osaka and Arata out of their trance.

"So, you met him this morning, and you two are already dating?" Sakaki said, changing the subject.

"That's a good idea." Osaka said, and then she turned to Arata "We should go out to eat tonight"

"That's a great idea!" Arata said to Osaka. "I know of a fabulous restaurant that serves excellent Osakian food."

Osaka and Arata turned and left, holding each other's hands.

Sakaki and Joe just stood there, staring at Osaka and Arata walk off.

"Well, I gotta admit, one of the very few people I would expect to find love in this world…" Joe said.

Sakaki just nodded.

They then continued to walk to the courthouse.

…

Nyamo pulled her car into the employee parking lot, and got out. She then went over to the other side, opened the door, and started shaking Yukari to wake her up.

"Yukari-san, wake up! We are at school!" Nyamo said.

Yukari slightly opened one eye to look at Nyamo, and then turned over to try to fall back asleep.

"Geez, I should just leave you here. At least then that way you'd listen to me next time," Nyamo said.

"Nyamo..." Yukari said. She pointed outside the vehicle through the driver's side window. Yukari's eyes were wide open.

Standing there was Osaka, and she was talking to a male. And they looked like they were enjoying themselves.

Yukari sat up in the vehicle, and unbuckled herself.

"You don't think…Osaka-san…" Yukari said, as she looked at Nyamo.

Nyamo looked like she didn't know.

"Could very possibly be…" Nyamo said.

As the guy walked away, and Osaka walked onto school grounds, Yukari got out of the car, and both Nyamo and Yukari walked up to her.

"Uh, Osaka-san, who was that?" Nyamo asked.

"Ah, that's Arata, a guy I met on my way here. We're going out on a date tonight!" Osaka said.

Nyamo and Yukari both looked like they had been hit by a ton of bricks. Osaka has a boyfriend?!

Osaka then walked into school. Usually she would be staring up at the sky, wondering about different things, but today, she seemed happy, and carefree (very unlike Osaka)

Tomo happened to walk by Nyamo and Yukari, and noticed the expression on their faces. Both Michiru and Yuka-chan also walked by, and caught the expression on the sensei's faces. They all stopped.

"Yukari-sensei, are you OK?" Tomo asked.

"Osaka-san…has a boyfriend." Yukari said, still bearing the shocked expression.

Michiru, Yuka-chan, and Tomo now bore a shocked expression on their faces.

"NO WAY!" Tomo screamed.

She ran into the building, sliding around corners, until she found Osaka sitting in her classroom, staring out the window. Osaka's elbows were on the windowsill, and her hands were holding her head up.

"Osaka-san, is it true?! Do you have a boyfriend?!" Tomo yelled.

"Yeah," Osaka said, in a love-struck tone. She sighed heavily.

Tomo was now completely white. She walked out of Osaka's classroom, and into her own, while still being completely white.

"Sensei, are you OK?" one student asked.

"Osaka-san…has a boyfriend…" Tomo almost whispered.

"WHAT?!" The entire class went.

…

3:30 pm

…

Even being asked about 50 times if she had a boyfriend, Osaka still bore that love-struck look on her face. Nobody had ever made her feel this way. She felt as if she was floating on air.

As she walked (felt like floated) out of the school, she waited right outside the school grounds for Arata to come.

…

Over at the courthouse (same time)

…

Finally, after sitting there for hours, Joe and Sakaki finally got to meet personally with the guy that could change the three cats names. Both of them put the cats down they had been holding on to this guys desk. One of the cats from Sakaki's arms gave Joe a brand new scratch with her teeth.

"Darn her!" Joe said.

Sakaki looked at Joe's arms. Apparently, the one cat didn't seem to like him much (which was ironic, because that one was the female of the bunch), because Joe's arms looked like scratching posts.

"So, you two are filing a petition to rename the three Iriomote cats. Are these it?" the guy asked.

"Yes," both Joe and Sakaki answered.

"OK, first up, this one here," The man pointed to the one on the far right (the only one that hadn't been included in this story yet)

"Comayaa," Sakaki said. That particular Yamamayaa didn't seem to have anything that set him apart from the other two.

The man began writing on the form that stated the Yamamayaa's name. The two that had been in Sakaki's arms watched the pencil wiggle while the guy wrote. The one that had been in Joe's arms just stared at the guy.

"OK, and this one…" the man pointed to the Iriomote that had scratched Joe.

At that moment, the Iriomote went right up and bit the man on the hand.

"Ouch!" the man withdrew his hand, and the Iriomote stared at him, like she hated him for something.

"I still say we call her bit-" Joe began to say, but Sakaki slapped her hand over his mouth.

"Cokaorin," Sakaki said.

Sakaki then took her hand off of Joe's mouth, and lifted Cokaorin up into her arms, so the man could write on his form.

"Why Cokaorin?" Joe whispered. They had both decided to put 'Co' in the front of the kittens' names so as to distinguish that they were kittens (necoCOneco)

"Think about it. She seems to like me, but hate all males, especially you," Sakaki whispered into his ear.

"Oh… ouch!" CoKaorin had bitten him in his bare arm again.

"And, how about this one?" The man asked, pointing with his pencil to the Iriomote Joe had.

"CoOsaka," Both Joe and Sakaki said, in an instant.

He was the staring cat. (Need I say more?)

Joe and Sakaki left the courthouse with their cats now renamed to something they thought to be a little more fitting.

…

8:30 pm, the school yard

…

Osaka waited there, now wearing a determined look on her face. Arata came walking up. He was now wearing a green shirt with jeans.

"Sorry I'm so late, Kasuga-san" Arata said. "I completely forgot where this place was, and got lost."

"That's OK," Osaka said. "I would have gotten lost too."

"Well, then, shall we go?" Arata asked.

"Yes, let's" Osaka said.

…

Around the corner, Nyamo watched Osaka and Arata leave. Nyamo smiled.

They seem so happy together. Guess I'll just let it be, Nyamo thought.

A huge snore came from behind her. Yukari and Tomo had both fallen asleep waiting for Osaka's date to come.

Nyamo took one hard look at Yukari and Tomo sleeping there. She walked up to them with the intention of waking them up.

"Know what, forget it," Nyamo said, as she walked off, leaving a sleeping Yukari and Tomo there.

…

Osaka and Arata sat down in the park on a bench to rest. It was now 9:30.

"Man, I can't believe I can't remember where that restaurant is," Arata said.

"I could have swore that they put it by that one train station," Osaka said.

Arata leaned back on the bench. Osaka also leaned back on the bench. They both stared at the stars.

"Hey, Kasuga," Arata asked. "Have you ever had a date before?"

"Nah," Osaka said.

"Me, neither…" Arata said. "But I like spending time with you, Kasuga-san."

Osaka smiled "I like it when you call me Kasuga"

Arata and Osaka continued to stare off into the sky, which was now lit up with stars.

"Hey, Kasuga," Arata said, "I wonder if kissing under the stars is different than just plain kissing." He looked over at Osaka. "Do you think it feels different?"

"Well…" Osaka started. She looked over at Arata. "You'd really have to try both to find out."

"Do you think maybe the aliens put something in the stars to make it more romantic?" Arata asked.

"Possibly," Osaka said.

Both she and Arata looked back at the sky.

…

Joe and Sakaki were now walking back from their date. Sakaki noticed two people sitting on a park bench, and gasped.

"It's Osaka, with Arata-san!" Sakaki gasped.

Joe looked over to see the both of them in the park, staring at the stars.

"Well, do you think they're going to kiss?" Joe asked.

Sakaki and Joe stared at the two in front of them. Then they both noticed that Osaka and Arata now had nosebubbles.

"They…fell asleep." Joe said, completely stunned.

"Um, should we help them?" Sakaki asked.

"Do you want to?" Joe asked.

Sakaki stared at Osaka and Arata for a moment.

"They'll be fine. Let's go home," Sakaki said with a smile, and both her and Joe walked off.

…

Tuesday Morning

…

Osaka and Arata woke up, still on the park bench. They both yawned and stretched out, then…

"Oh, crap! I gotta be at school!!" Osaka said, looking at her watch.

"I gotta be at work!!" Arata said, looking at his watch.

They both waved each other good-bye, and ran off.

…

Tomo and Yukari woke up when the school bell went off.

"Ah, so glad you guys are awake," Nyamo said as she walked by. "Class is about to start."

Yukari and Tomo looked at her, trying to understand what she meant, as she walked off.

Tomo looked at her watch.

"Oh crap! Our classes are starting!" Tomo yelled.

Tomo and Yukari jumped up, and ran to their classes.

…

After school

…

Osaka's day had been an emotional roller-coaster ride.

After being asked how her date went, and everybody knew that she fell asleep on a park bench; the subject was dropped.

Bu that's not what bothered her. What bothered her was the fact that everybody still called her Osaka-san (or, in the case of the students, Osaka-sensei). She loved hearing "Kasuga" but nobody bothered to call her that.

"Hey! Kasuga-san!" Arata called out from the school boundary.

Osaka got a smile across her face, and her heartbeat picked up.

Osaka ran out (if you can call it running) out to Arata.

"Look! I actually found it this time!" Arata said joyously. He put his hands on the back of his head.

Meanwhile, Osaka stared at him with a love-struck look.

"Arata, could you possibly say my name again?" Osaka asked.

"Sure, Kasuga," Arata said, looking off, and then coming back, "Why do you…"

Osaka went right up and kissed him on the lips.

"I love it when you call me Kasuga" Osaka said in a love-struck tone, after pulling back.

"Uh…sure…no problem," Arata said, blushing slightly.

"Shall we go?" Osaka asked.

"Let's" Arata said, and they walked off, arm-in-arm.

Right behind where Osaka had been standing, Tomo, Yukari, and Nyamo all stood there, awestruck.

Tomo: "They…"

Yukari: "…just…"

Nyamo: "…kissed."

"Well, damn it!! Osaka's getting more luck than I am!!" Tomo screamed into the air.

"Don't worry! Being single for life isn't so bad!" Yukari said, trying to cheer Tomo up.

"Well, not if Osaka's leaving it behind!! I have to go find a boyfriend, and fast!" and with that, Tomo zoomed off (probably to find some random guy)

"Well, see you, Yukari," Nyamo said. "I have a date."

"A date, with who?!" Yukari screamed angrily.

"Oh, you wouldn't be interested in him," Nyamo said in a scathing tone. "He's a gym teacher. He works over at the Peach Moon Institute."

And Nyamo walked off, leaving Yukari to stand there, alone.

"Well…I can get a boyfriend too! I just need to find another English teacher!" Yukari said (to herself, since Nyamo wasn't listening)

Do I even know any other English teachers? Yukari thought.

This question would gnaw at Yukari's mind for the rest of the day.

…

Author's notes: (sigh) romance. Gotta love it (bad joke)

Explanation to the one Arata riddle: She has 7 children, and half of them are boys. The other half are also boys.

It was ridiculously hard it was to try to stick with Osaka's personality, and still have her fall in love.

And lastly, many thanks to the Internet for supplying me with a bunch of riddles I could use.

Next Chapter: Arata meets Chiyo; Kagura's heartbreak


	41. Arata meets Chiyo, Kagura's heartbreak

Arata meets Chiyo; Kagura's Heartbreak

…  
Wednesday morning

…

"WHAT?!" Chiyo yelled into her phone.

"Osaka…has…a...boyfriend" Joe said slowly. "And according to Nyamo, Tomo, and Yukari, they kissed, too."

"YOU'RE KIDDING!" Chiyo yelled into the phone again.

"Well, I would doubt Yukari and Tomo, but not Nyamo," Joe said. "So, would you like to meet him?"

"You mean I could actually have a chance to see him in person?" Chiyo asked.

"Sure, we actually saw him and Osaka walking together about two blocks up from Sakaki's house," Joe said.

"OK, I'll meet you there," Chiyo said, and she hung up the phone.

…

Chiyo came running up to Joe and Sakaki, who were standing there, watching down the sidewalk.

"Chiyo-chan, you made it just in time," Joe said. And then he smiled "You must be getting faster"

"I've been running a lot with all this spare time I have," Chiyo said. She had very quickly recovered.

"There they are," Sakaki said in her cool, collected voice.

All three of them watched, as Osaka and Arata walked past, hand in hand. Then they stopped, and all three of them overheard this conversation.

"Hey, Kasuga-san, do you want to kiss?" Arata said.

"They're going to kiss already! It's so early in the morning!" Chiyo whispered, so Osaka and Arata couldn't hear her.

Sakaki and Joe looked away and blushed. They had kissed far earlier in the morning than this.

Then, Chiyo got a confused look on her face.

"Wait, did he just call her Kasuga-san?" Chiyo said.

"Apparently, she really likes it when he calls her that," Joe said.

…

Osaka stared into Arata's eyes. Then…

"Kasuga, there are three people watching us. Two are people we met yesterday, and another is a little kid with pigtails."

Then Arata's pupils went small.

"Those pigtails…look evil…" Arata said.

Osaka looked at Arata seriously.

"You think so, too?" Osaka said. "OK, here's the plan. I grab hold of one, you grab hold of the other, and we yank at the same time. Those pigtails are controlling her, and we need to set her free."

Arata nodded.

Osaka then whipped around, and smiled.

"Sakaki-san, Joe-san, Chiyo-chan!" Osaka called out.

…

"Guess they're not going to kiss." Joe said

"Well, I get to meet this guy now," Chiyo said, with a smile on her face.

…

Chiyo walked up to Osaka and Arata.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Chiyo Mihama!" Chiyo said.

At that point, (and too quickly for Chiyo to react) Osaka grabbed hold of Chiyo's left pigtail. Arata grabbed hold of the right one. They both started yanking in the opposite directions.

"OW! OW! OW!" Chiyo screamed "LET GO, IT HURTS!"

"Don't' worry, Chiyo-chan!" Osaka yelled, "We'll save you!"

Joe and Sakaki saw this, and went running up to try and stop the chaos.

Sakaki put Osaka into an arm lock, which made her let go. Joe did the same to Arata.

"What in the world were you guys thinking?" Joe asked Arata.

Chiyo was on the ground, holding onto her pigtails. Tears were streaming down her face.

"We are trying to take the evil pigtails off of Chiyo-chan's head so they stop controlling her!" Arata said. "Both Kasuga-san and I know that those things are evil!"

"They are not evil!" Chiyo screamed. She undid her pigtails, and let her hair fall to her backside. She had stopped the tears from streaming down her face, although her eyes were still watery. "See, they are just a hair style!"

Joe and Sakaki let go of Osaka and Arata.

Osaka and Arata bent down and looked at Chiyo's hair.

"There just hiding," they both said.

"FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS SACRED, MY HAIR IS NOT EVIL, OR CONTROLLING!! IT IS JUST A FLIPPING HAIRSTYLE!!" Chiyo yelled, that surprised everybody standing there.

And with that, Osaka and Arata walked off in the direction they were headed in the first place.

"Chiyo-chan, are you OK?" Joe asked.

"What do you think?! I just had my hair pulled on in opposite directions!!" Chiyo yelled, obviously upset. She still had her hands on her head, where the pigtails had been. It obviously still hurt.

Joe sighed.

…

Osaka and Arata walked around the corner.

"Well, I gotta say, we almost had those evil pigtails," Osaka said.

"Don't worry, we'll get them next time" Arata said.

They continued walking along.

"So, Kasuga, do you want to kiss again?" Arata asked.

Osaka got that love-struck look on her face again.

"Call me Kasuga again." Osaka said.

"Kasuga." Arata said soothingly.

Osaka leaned in, and Arata met.

…

"Holy crap! They kissed!" Chiyo said. She had run to the corner, and was now watching Osaka and Arata kiss. "Are you guys…"

She turned to see Joe and Sakaki, also making out.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Get a room, you two," Chiyo said, slightly irritated (as well as possibly jealous)

…

Kaorin left her house, and stretched out. It was a sunny, warm day. But even with the weather being nice, she still a little down. It had been a good 5 months since she had given up on Sakaki, and she still hadn't found the (second) love of her life. She was beginning to give up hope.

Suddenly, she heard two people yelling at least a block down. She ran all the way down to see Heiko get into his car and leave. He even squealed his tires, indicating that he was mad.

Kaorin then looked at Kagura's house, and looked at the front door. The door had been left open slightly, but she could tell that the lights were off.

She walked up, and slowly creaked opened the front door.

Kagura was kneeling there at a table. Although Kaorin couldn't see Kagura's eyes, tears were running down her cheek, and she was sniffling, as if trying to hold back crying.

"Kagura-san?" Kaorin asked.

"K…Kaorin-san…" Kagura said, in a very heartbroken way.

Kaorin walked up to Kagura, and kneeled down beside her.

"Kagura, are you OK?" Kaorin asked.

"He…he was using steroids…"Kagura said, and sniffled. Tears started to run down her face faster.

"No way!" Kaorin said.

(Note: Every three dots in this next part, Kagura lets out a sniffle)

"And then…when I found them…I told him that …he had to quit using them…we ar…argued…and then…I told him…to get out…after…" Kagura was about ready to cry.

Kaorin sat there, shocked at the story.

"After what?" Kaorin asked.

"He…" Kagura's looked up to reveal her face to Kaorin. Kaorin gasped.

Kagura's other cheek was completely swelled up, and had a red mark on it.

"He…" Kaorin said silently.

Kagura was about two seconds away from crying her heart out.

Kaorin did the best thing she possibly could in this situation: she put Kagura's head on her shoulder.

Kagura just cried. Kaorin started stroking Kagura's back, much like Kaorins' mother had always done for her in these situations, and tried to calm Kagura down.

And Kagura cried her heart out into Kaorin's loving, understanding shoulder for a good while.

…

Author's notes: I seriously had very hard time writing about Kagura's breakup. It hurt me inside to have to do that to Kagura.

Next Chapter: Heiko's attack

PS: In no way do I have anything against anybody German. It just happened that Heiko was evil.


	42. Heiko attacks

Heiko Attacks

PS: **Bold** is English. Plain is translated from Japanese. Anything that you see like: "()" is translated from German.

…

Thursday

…

Sakaki was walking to work. Throughout most of the spring months, Joe never even had to show up to his job, due to the overload in winter, so he rarely got much work, but he enjoyed walking with Sakaki anyway.

"I think the scratches are getting worse," Sakaki said with a smile.

"I hate that Cokaorin," Joe grumbled, as he looked at his arms.

Joe and Sakaki were walking for a bit when Sakaki had a thought.

"Joe, you said you came from he northern states. Where exactly?"

"Madison, Wisconsin," Joe said. "And, you know, I never had an interest in sports. But I always had an interest in Japan, and computer programming. So I went to the Massachusetts school to improve my programming skills and to self-teach myself Japanese"

"Also, Chiyo-chan said she was in the southern states, but I looked it up, and Massachusetts is in the northern part of the United States." Sakaki said.

"I'm not fully informed of all of it precisely, but I heard that Chiyo would be somewhere in Georgia for the fall and winter, and would come back to Massachusetts in the spring. I'm guessing while she was away she did all of her Yale classes, because I don't ever remember her studying for that doctor stuff." Joe explained.

It was at that point that they both noticed Kaorin standing right in their walking path. Sakaki and Joe both stopped walking.

"Good morning, Kaorin-san," Sakaki said in her usual cool way. "You didn't show up for work yesterday."

Kaorin put her right fist up by her heart.

"Because I spent all of yesterday caring for Kagura-san," Kaorin said.

"What do you mean?" Sakaki asked.

Kaorin explained the story of Kagura and Heiko to both Sakaki and Joe.

After the story, Sakaki stood there with a look of anger and hatred for Heiko in her eyes. Joe wore the same look on his face.

"That…that…" Joe was so angry that the right word couldn't even come to him.

Sakaki just stood there, her fists clenched. Her action said more than Joe's frustration.

Sakaki-san, still the coolest, Kaorin thought.

"But I got her to call the police, and they are now searching for him." Kaorin said.

Joe and Sakaki looked a little bit more relieved, now that the police were now searching for him.

"So, how's Kagura-san?" Joe asked.

"She's ok physically, but I think she's been emotionally wounded." Kaorin said.

"You should have her checked by a psychiatrist." Joe said. "Emotional wounding can be deadly to the person"

Kaorin and Sakaki perked up at this information.

"You don't think she'd…" Kaorin said.

"I'm saying it's a possibility. Seeing a psychiatrist and trying to heal the emotional wound would help her more than anything," Joe said.

"I'll definitely do that." Kaorin said.

Sakaki went and put her hand on Kaorin's shoulder.

"Take the next few days off, and help her get better," Sakaki said.

Kaorin's eyes reflected a bit of light.

"Thank you, Sakaki-san" Kaorin said. And she went running in the direction of Kagura's house.

"That was very nice, Sakaki," Joe said with a slight smile.

Sakaki nodded.

Joe and Sakaki didn't talk much for the rest of the walk. The mood had changed since their meeting with Kaorin. They now had a burning hatred within them for a certain guy.

…

Kaorin was running over to Kagura's house. Now that she had the next few days off, she could help Kagura get better. Things would definitely look up for Kagura.

Except for the fact that when Kaorin turned the corner to Kagura's house, she saw a familiar car.

"Oh, no…" Kaorin said with a scared look. She pulled out her cell phone, and dialed the police.

The police said it would be a good three minutes until they got there. Until then, Kaorin decided she had better go check on Kagura.

Kaorin went running up to the door, and opened it up.

Kagura's house was small. In front of Kaorin sat the table Kagura cried at (which was now turned over). Beyond the table lay the doorway to the kitchen. To the right was a bathroom, which sat under a flight of stairs. And up the stairs, sat Kagura's room.

Heiko was standing at the top of the stairs, pounding on the bedroom door. And he was beginning to bend the door in.

"**Heiko, stop this now!**" Kaorin screamed.

Heiko looked back, and ran down the stairs. He then tried to punch at Kaorin.

Kaorin ducked underneath Heiko's punch,

WHAM!!

Heiko's punch hit the wall, and made a nice hole where his hand got stuck, as Kaorin ran up the stairs, to Kagura's door.

Heiko pulled his hand out of the wall.

Kaorin went and pounded on Kagura's door.

…

Kagura had been curled up in the corner, crying. She truly believed that Heiko would burst through the door, and possibly kill her. When Kaorin came running and pounding on the door, this pulled her out of it.

"Kagura?! Are you OK?!" Kaorin screamed.

"Kaorin?! Kaorin! You have to run, Heiko could kill you!!" Kagura screamed.

WHAM!!

"Kaorin?! Kaorin?!!" Kagura screamed.

She then uncurled herself, and ran over to the closet. She grabbed her Christmas present out of the closet to use as a weapon.

She would NOT let her friends get hurt by this guy. Not in a million years.

…

Kaorin had just barely jumped out of the way of Heiko's fist, which had come swinging downward. But she was now on the floor, and unable to stand back up fast enough, for Heiko's fist came out of the floor, and was now about to punch at her again. With the strength the steroids had given him, he easily had enough power to kill.

Kagura's bedroom door came flying open, and Kagura hit him in the back with the weights she had gotten for Christmas.

Now, this cracked a few rib bones in the back of Heiko. But with the steroids being active, he never felt it.

He turned around and faced Kagura.

"(Back…off!)" Kagura said.

"(b--ch!)" Hieko said, and took one step forward. His face was red with anger.

Kagura swung her weights around again. But this time, Heiko caught the weights with one hand, and threw them downstairs into the living room.

Kagura's face turned to fear as she turned and ran down the stairs behind her, with Heiko pounding behind her.

Kaorin got up and followed, because she knew Kagura would need her help.

Kagura reached the bottom of the stairs, and got caught by the hair. Heiko lifted her up, and threw her against the wall that was right by the door leading outside.

"Kagura!" Kaorin screamed

Kagura's body hit the wall hard. She fell down on the floor, and her back was in pain. Heiko then walked over and lifted her up by her hair with his left hand. He then wound up to hit Kagura with his right fist.

Kagura had tears running down her eyes now. She truly believed she was going to die this time.

Kaorin had to think fast. If not, Heiko was going to break Kagura's face in.

She could only think of one thing to do, and she herself is not sure why she thought of it at that particular time.

She ran up behind Heiko, and…

…

Kagura closed her eyes as Heiko wound back.

Heiko stopped. He felt a sharp pain.

"Thousand Years of Pain!!" Kaorin screamed, as Heiko let go of Kagura's hair, and went running into the kitchen with his hand on his butt, screaming in pain.

Nobody's really sure why the steroids didn't stop that particular pain. But Kagura and Kaorin can both say they're glad it didn't.

Kagura opened her eyes to see Kaorin wiping her hands on her jeans.

"Kaorin…you…saved me…" Kagura said.

"EWWW!! GROSS!! Whoever thought of that attack is a sick pervert! I had my fingers up his butt! Disgusting!!" Kaorin ranted.

Kagura couldn't help but chuckle at this.

…

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Hieko's face turned blood red, as his anger soared (thanks in part to the steroids)

…

Heiko came slamming through the wall rather than using the doorway out of the kitchen.

"What the hell is he?! The flipping Juggernaut?!" Kaorin asked.

Heiko ran at Kaorin, and slammed his right fist down to crush her.

Kaorin jumped (against the wall) to avoid the punch.

WHAM!

His fist hit the ground, and indented it slightly.

He lifted the same fist up, and came to hit Kaorin again.

Kaorin couldn't react fast enough. The fist was going to hit full force.

Kaorin closed her eyes.

WHAM!!

Kaorin felt her entire body being pressed up against the wall. She opened her eyes to find Kagura being pressed up against her.

Kagura had jumped in the path of the punch, and had caught it with both hands. But due to the strength, couldn't stop it completely.

I guess this makes us even, Kaorin thought.

"(Stop this, Heiko!)" Kagura yelled.

Heiko wound up his other fist to hit down on both of the girls at once.

Kagura couldn't stop this one. She had both hands on the one fist to keep it from going anywhere. Nor could she or Kaorin get away, because they were both being pressed up against the wall.

This punch was going to hurt…

"MIHAMA HURRICANE SPIN!!"

A spinning object came flying in from the outside doorway, and hit Heiko square in the cheek. He spun into the kitchen, and his entire body hit the cabinet doors below the counter.

The spinning object stopped spinning, and landed in the form of Chiyo Mihama.

"Seems like you guys needed some help," Chiyo said with a smile.

"Chiyo-chan, when did you…?" Kagura asked.

"I was running by, and saw you jump in the way of Heiko's punch to protect Kaorin" Chiyo said.

…

Heiko stood back up, now staring at the child in the living room. The steroids were still in effect.

…

"Chiyo-chan, the police will be here any minute. We need to get out of here!" Kaorin said.

Heiko came flying out of the kitchen, and landed a punch right where Chiyo was, and it kicked up a little dust.

"Chiyo-ch…huh?" Kaorin said. Where Chiyo's body was supposed to be pressed down against the floor by Heiko's fist, there was…nothing.

"**You're going to have to be faster than that, Heiko**" Chiyo said. She was standing on his back.

"Woah…" both Kaorin and Kagura said at the same time.

This caught Heiko's attention, as he turned it back to the two girls, and tried to punch them.

Kaorin grabbed Kagura, and jumped out of the way.

WHAM!!!

His fist indented the wall, and his fist got caught. Chiyo jumped off of Heiko's back, and pushed herself against the stairway. Kagura and Kaorin landed on the floor to the left of Heiko a few feet away.

…

Kagura was getting sick of this. She noticed the weights that Heiko had thrown earlier down on the floor right by her.

This ends now, she thought.

…

Heiko pulled his fist out of the wall, and whipped around. Chiyo was standing right there, ready to push herself off in case he charged.

Heiko instead turned his attention to Kagura and Kaorin, who were on the floor closer to him.

It was at this point that the steroids began to wear off, because Heiko got an idea.

He made the motion to go and punch at Kagura and Kaorin with his right hand.

Chiyo pushed herself off and began running at Heiko.

Heiko then came around with his other fist at Chiyo.

Chiyo jumped, did a half flip, and put her hands on Heiko's big fist that had come to hit her.

"MIHAMA HURRICANE SPIN!" Chiyo yelled, and pushed off of Heiko's fist, spinning right into Heiko's face once again.

Heiko hit the wall hard, making an indentation of his body in the wall.

Chiyo landed once again. But this time she fell to one knee, and was breathing hard. Doing the Hurricane Spin 3 times wore her out.

"(B--ch!) Heiko yelled, as he moved himself out of the wall, and went to punch Chiyo.

Kagura came running in at this point. While Heiko had had his attention on Chiyo, she had gotten up, and grabbed the weights.

Kagura screamed, as she swung the weights right at Heiko's face.

CLANG!!

The weights hit Heiko's face right on. Heiko fell backwards, and landed with a sickening "THUD!"

Kagura stood there, breathing hard, and dropped the weights. Kaorin (who had been waiting where the weights had been in case she was needed again) came walking over to Kagura.

Kagura had tears forming in her eyes, but was also gritting her teeth and had her fists clenched in anger.

"It's…over" Kaorin said, as she stared at the body of Heiko, lying on the floor.

Kagura went over and hugged Kaorin, who hugged back.

At that point, the police finally showed up.

…

Kagura and Kaorin were released from the hospital on Friday with only minor injuries, and Chiyo was easily released the same day (she had no wounds)

Heiko was allowed into the emergency room. He had already died, due to the use of steroids, and the fact that Kagura had broken his skull, and smashed his nose into his skull. Kagura would not be charged with murder, since all three girls said it was self-defense.

Kagura and Kaorin went to Kaorin's house on Friday (because Kagura's was kind of destroyed).

…

Kaorin and Kagura went to Kaorin's room, and sat down on the bed. They both stared at the floor.

"I…wanted to thank you for coming to my rescue," Kagura said.

"Uh…no problem," Kaorin said.

A few moments of awkward silence.

Kagura let out a sigh that broke the silence.

"So...still got that thing for Sakaki?" Kagura asked.

"Nah, I've kind of given up on Sakaki, since she seems to have chosen Joe instead," Kaorin said.

"Oh…" Kagura said, rubbing the back of her head, "Sorry"

"That's ok," Kaorin replied. "I'm just happy that Sakaki's happy, but… I really wish I could find the right person for me."

"Um…" Kagura kind of hesitated "Got anybody in mind?"

Kaorin sighed "Nah, not at the moment."

"So…um…" Kagura started. She really didn't know how to say it. "Are you looking for a guy?"

It dawned on Kaorin at this point. She looked over at Kagura.

"Kagura, are you trying to say something?" Kaorin asked.

"Well, um…I-It's kind of new for me," Kagura said, "It made me feel better when I cried onto your shoulder, and…when you came to my rescue…I didn't want to let you die, no matter what…"

Kaorin changed her position on the bed so that she was now kneeling on the bed, staring at Kagura, who continued to stare at the floor. As Kagura went on, Kaorin found herself slowly beginning to smile.

"And…you know…I really don't want to go through the same thing I did with Heiko…and I find myself hating him…and hating…all men for being… the way they are…and…"

Kaorin put one hand on Kagura's cheek, and turned her face towards hers. She then kissed Kagura right on the lips.

Kagura was kind of surprised by this, but let it continue anyway. She even closed her eyes, and enjoyed it.

Kaorin pulled back, and Kagura breathed in deeply.

"So, are you saying you like me, and you wish to date?" Kaorin asked.

"Yeah, in a way," Kagura said, blushing.

Kaorin giggled. "And you know, I was beginning to think I'd never find a lover."

Kagura chuckled a little at this.

Kagura and Kaorin locked eyes, and this time Kagura went up for a kiss. Kaorin and Kagura fell back on the bed, as they continued to kiss.

Kagura and Kaorin pulled back.

"Oh, Kagura, this just…makes me feel so happy" Kaorin said

"Yeah…me too," Kagura said, as she went in for another kiss.

…

Kagura and Kaorin later fell asleep, cuddled next to each other.

…

Author's notes: Yay! Kaorin finally has a girlfriend!!

You know, if you think about it, they are almost a perfect pair. They both have something for Sakaki (Kagura considers Sakaki her rival), and Kagura is something of a 'tomboy'. All in all, this really worked out.

And yes, I had this planned all the way back in the winter saga. Which is why I had to break up Kagura and Heiko.

Oh, and as an afternote, the reason Joe's perverted side didn't kick up a fit is his perverted side only senses stuff with his girlfriend (Sakaki)

Next Chapter: Tomo's boyfriend


	43. Tomo's Boyfriend

Tomo's boyfriend

Note: Rated 'M' due to:

Category is Cuss word

'bstrd'

Want to buy a vowel? ;)

…

Saturday

…

Kaorin woke up. Kagura was still cuddled next to her.

Kaorin just smiled as she hugged herself closer to Kagura.

That's when her cell phone (which was over on her dresser) went off.

Kaorin cursed out as she got up and answered the phone.

"Hello?!" Kaorin said, agitated.

"Kaorin, guess what?! I've got a boyfriend!" Tomo exclaimed.

"You mean…you got me out of bed…with my love…to tell me…YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND?!!" Kaorin seethed.

"Well, yeah…" Tomo said, like it was common to do so. "And what do you mean by your love?"

Kaorin hung up on her. She was in no mood to explain.

Damn Tomo, she thought.

Kaorin changed clothes, and woke Kagura up.

They kissed as Kagura got up, and Kagura ran over to her house to grab all her clothes as Kaorin made breakfast.

…

Over at Sakaki's house

…

Sakaki was still in bed. Joe had woken up because the Iriomotes had been pawing at the door for food, and it was his turn to feed them.

Cokaorin felt the need to bite him as he fed her too, just making this a great start to his day (sarcasm, for those that can't tell).

His cell phone went off.

"Hello?"

"Joe, guess what? I've got a boyfriend!" Tomo said.

"Hey, Tomo, guess what? Nobody cares!!" and Joe slammed his phone shut.

…

Chiyo was sleeping in her bed when her cell phone went off.

"Hello?" Chiyo said, still three-fourths asleep.

"Chiyo-chan, guess what? I've got a boyfriend!" Tomo exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, my 'give a damn' is not in right now, please call back later, thank you," Chiyo said, shut her cell phone, and went back to sleep.

Tomo looked at her cell phone as Chiyo hung up.

"Woah, Chiyo said 'damn'"

…

Yomi was also sleeping in her bed when her cell phone went off (see a pattern?)

"Hello?" Yomi answered groggily.

"Yomi, guess what?!" Tomo said.

"What?" Yomi said.

"You're fat…" Tomo said, and she hung up.

"That should get her over here," Tomo chuckled evilly.

"psh, yeah, right, I've been taking those pills, go away, Tomo," Yomi said, as she rolled over to go to sleep.

…

Kagura, who was now having breakfast with Kaorin, was eating when her cell phone went off.

"Hello?" Kagura asked, the only one to say it in a happy mood.

"Hey, Kagura, you sound happy!" Tomo said.

"Yeah, I had just the greatest night last night…" Kagura said.

"Reeeeaaaaaalllly?" Tomo said, in an instigating tone. "You and Heiko have sex?"

"Nah, that bastard died from steroid use," Kagura said (still in a happy voice)

"Oh, man, and you had a great night?" Tomo said.

"Yeah, I spent it with Kaorin," Kagura said.

"Wait, you mean you and Kaorin…" Tomo let it hang.

"No, but we are dating" Kagura said happily.

"Aw, hell, here I was about to tell you I have a boyfriend, and you go and become a lesbian overnight!! Damn you!" and Tomo hung up.

Kagura could help but laugh.

…

"Well, damn, that only leaves Yomi to come see…" Tomo said.

"We could just wait for them," her boyfriend said (from the shadows, so we can't see him yet)

"Good idea!" Tomo said.

…

Yomi, Chiyo, Joe, Sakaki, Kagura, and Kaorin all met up. They all needed to go shopping again.

The one thing everybody there noticed was that Kagura and Kaorin had their arms around each other.

"So, um…Kagura, how are things with you and uh…that bugger of a boyfriend?" Joe asked.

"Oh, that 'bugger of a boyfriend' died." Chiyo said to Joe, with a big smile on her face.

Everybody looked at Kagura, expecting a reaction.

All she did was continue to stand there, smiling.

"Uh, Kagura-san?" Yomi asked.

"Yes?" Kagura said.

"You're boyfriend just died. Aren't you sad about this?" Yomi said. She hadn't received any of the story between Kagura and Heiko.

"Nah, he was a bastard anyway. Besides, I've already found a new love." Kagura said, looking down at Kaorin, and pulling her close.

"YOU AND KAORIN?!" Everybody exclaimed.

Kagura nodded, and gave Kaorin a kiss (lip style)

Everybody stared. Joe's nose bled a little.

"So, um, what did I miss here?" Yomi asked.

"I'll explain it on the way." Chiyo said, as they turned to go walk to the mall.

"Hello, everybody!!" Tomo screamed as she jumped out of the bushes.

WHAM!! Joe's fist came right up and hit her on the face.

"Sorry, reflex," Joe said, obviously not meaning it.

"Sure, right, uh-huh," Tomo said sarcastically, as she stood up.

"So, did you guys hear that Kaorin and Kagura…" Tomo began.

WHAM!!

"Sorry, reflex," Kaorin said.

"DAMN IT!!" Tomo yelled "You guys are going to break my nose!"

Tomo stood back up.

"Now, as I was saying…"

WHAM!!

"I just felt like doing that." Yomi said.

Tomo began cursing, as she rolled around on the ground, holding her nose.

"They are beating me up!!" Tomo yelled.

BOOM!! A huge smoke cloud filled the air around them.

"What the…?" Joe asked.

"What idiot…" began a voice.

I know that voice!! Joe thought.

"…would dare mess with the girlfriend of the mighty PRINCE LAHARL?!!"

The smoke cleared, and a man now stood before them. He had oversized red shoes, and short blue hair with two little hair-antenna in the front. He had no shirt on, but he had something of a red cap wrapped around his neck, that always seemed to be straight out. He had on red shorts. His eyes were a blood red, and he had demon fangs that came out on either side of his mouth. He also had giant gold wristbands on both wrists. (AKA, he looked exactly like Prince Laharl from the video game and anime Disgaea)

The guy's even wears a mask! He looks exactly like Prince Laharl! Joe thought.

"Joe, he looks exactly like the one guy from the video game we played!!" Chiyo said, pointing at Laharl.

"He speaks Japanese, but he's got the voice of the American Laharl!" Joe said.

"I always found that one to be better. Reminded me of Rita Repulsa from Power Rangers." Laharl said. (Joe sweat-dropped) "Anywho…"

Laharl then pulled out an oversized sword from behind his back.

"I heard that you all didn't want to meet me." Laharl said, pointing the tip of his sword at everybody.

"Uh…we all thought you were holding another contest for Overlord, so of course we wouldn't meet you." Joe said quickly.

"Oh, ok then," Laharl said. And hit put his sword behind his back again.

Joe let out a sigh of relief.

"So, you are Tomo's boyfriend?" Chiyo asked.

"Yes, Tomo is my girlfriend," Laharl said.

Sakaki walked up to Laharl.

"Pleased to meet you, Laharl-san," Sakaki said and bowed.

"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!" Laharl screamed, as he fell backward. "Keep that sexy body away from me!"

"Huh?" Sakaki asked.

"Um, Sakaki, come here." Joe said, and he and Sakaki separated from the group. "Laharl has only two weaknesses. One is optimism, the other is sexy bodies."

Sakaki looked down heartened, and about ready to cry.

"Don't worry about it," Joe said reassuringly "He'll get used to it after a while. Besides, this explains why he and Tomo are hooked up. He loves flat-chests." Joe snickered at this last part.

This definitely made Sakaki feel better.

"So, shall we all go shopping?" Chiyo said.

"YEAH!" Tomo pump-fisted into the air.

"hmhmhmhm…I'm going to enjoy this." Laharl said.

While all the girls walked ahead, Joe pulled Laharl back.

Joe first sniffed the air.

Yes, he showers!! Joe thought.

"So, perfect cosplayer?" Joe asked.

"24/7 cosplayer" Laharl responded.

"That Barbara Goodson voice must be murder on your throat," Joe whispered.

"Actually, I've gotten used to it." Laharl whispered back.

"Hey, has anybody seen Osaka?" Tomo asked everybody. "I called her cell phone, but she never answered"

…

Osaka lay under her own kotatsu (along with the plugged in one she got for Christmas), cuddled up with Arata. And they were still both sleeping.

…

Author's notes: Yeah, Tomo's dating a cosplayer. A 24/7 Cosplayer, no less. Oh, well, at least he showers.

Barbara Goodson plays the voice of Laharl for the English versions. She was also the voice of Rita Repulsa for the Power Rangers series. And she has a very raspy throat, that's hard to copy.

Oh, and for those that are wondering, his sword is hidden in a secret compartment in his outfit. He doesn't have any of the powers that the 'real' Prince Laharl has, either.

Next Chapter: Nyamo's love, and Yomi's loneliness


	44. Nyamo's love, and Yomi's Loneliness

Nyamo's love, and Yomi's Loneliness

Note: Saotome is the gym teacher from Pani Poni Dash! He was referenced in chapter 40, as the guy Nyamo went out on a date with.

…

Sunday

…

Nyamo woke up. Last night had been awesome. She had gone out on another date with Saotome, and it was amazing (especially since it didn't involve Yukari)

A pounding came on the door.

"Nyamo, let me in, I have to know how your date went!!" Yukari yelled.

Nyamo sighed.

Out of heaven, in to hell, Nyamo thought.

…

"Wow, it really sounds like you like this guy," Yukari said.

"Yeah, and the thing is, he knows what I'm going through," Nyamo said.

"What do you mean?" Yukari asked.

"Well, he has to deal with an 11-year old teacher." Nyamo said. "And I have to deal with you."

"Aw, but you know you enjoy it." Yukari said, patting Nyamo on the back.

Then it hit her.

"Wait, did you just call me an 11-year old?!" Yukari asked.

"Took you long enough" Nyamo said calmly.

"You know, your attitude has really changed over the years." Yukari said, concerned.

"Well, not only do I have to deal with you, but I have to deal with Tomo and Osaka as co-workers rather than just students now too," Nyamo said. "And, truthfully, it's getting stressful."

"Speaking of Tomo, you remember her years in high school, and how she wanted to be in the ICPO?" Yukari said seriously.

"Yeah, why?" Nyamo asked.

"Well, what made her give that up, and become a teacher?" Yukari asked.

Nyamo now had a very confused look on her face. Yukari actually had a point.

"I have no idea. We should ask her." Nyamo said.

"We should." Yukari said.

They both sat there, staring at each other.

"Aren't you going to ask her?" Nyamo asked after about a minute.

"Sorry, no cell phone," Yukari said happily.

Nyamo sighed, and pulled out her cell phone.

…

"Hello?" Tomo said.

"Hey, Tomo, Yukari and I were just sitting around, and we wanted to ask you a few questions" Nyamo said.

"Listen, I'll answer them later, right now my boyfriend and I are watching Yomi. She's talking with someone in a coffee shop, and they seem to be having a nice time."

"Oh, well, talk to you later then," Nyamo said, and hung up.

"Who was that?" Laharl asked.

"That was Nyamo. Remind me to call her later." Tomo said. (He forgets, and she never calls her back)

…

"So, what'd she have to say?" Yukari asked.

"Oh, she's watching Yomi. Apparently, she's on a date with some guy right now." Nyamo responded, as she put her cell phone back into her pocket.

Yukari broke down into 'river' tears, and put her head down on the table.

"Why am I the only single one left?!" Yukari whined.

"Your attitude towards life has a lot to do with it," Nyamo replied with a sweat-drop.

Yukari then sat straight up, no longer crying.

"Chiyo's still single!!" Yukari said. She then bolted out the door.

"Oh, no," Nyamo said with a worried look. She quickly pulled back out her cell phone.

…

"Hello?" Chiyo said into her cell phone. She had just gotten off of work, because she replaced someone else's shift.

"Chiyo-chan, you need to run!!" Nyamo said in a panicked state. "Yukari's coming to get you! You and her are the only non-dating people she knows of left!"

Chiyo's face turned to that of horror.

"What?!" Chiyo yelled.

"You can't let Yukari find you, or she'll torture you through the end of your days, like she did me!!" Nyamo yelled into her phone.

Chiyo hung up, and went running. She had to make sure Yukari didn't find her.

She rounded one corner, and stopped dead in her tracks.

There sat Yukari.

"Hi, Chiyo-chan!" Yukari said in a delightful voice.

Chiyo passed out.

…

Back at the café

…

"So, Naoki Yanagi, do you remember anything from high school?" Yomi asked.

"Yeah, I do," Yanagi replied. "I remember getting my bike stolen by Yukari-sensei"

"Ouch," Yomi replied. "Did she ever give it back?"

"Well, she never locked it up when she got to school, so I just locked it up so she couldn't take it home."

Yomi and Yanagi laughed.

"So, um…" Yomi was afraid to ask this question, but she had to, for this could possibly be her first boyfriend. "What do you think of Kimura-sensei?"

"Well, in high school, I was touched by his honesty," Yanagi stated "but as I went through college, I came to realize that his openness was a bit much. And the fact that he's got a high school girl fetish is a little weird."

Good enough, Yomi thought with a smile.

"So, are you dating anybody at this point?" Yomi asked.

"Nah, I don't have the time." Yanagi replied. "I work for the government now, and they always needs my help, and I'm always called back to duty."

A pager went of on Yanagi's belt.

"Like now." Yanagi said, as he checked the pager, then replaced it. "Well, I gotta go. Nice talking to you, Yomi-san." He bowed, and left.

Yomi put her elbow on the table, her head on her hand, and sighed heavily.

"I guess that means it didn't work out…" Tomo said, almost feeling sorry for Yomi.

"I thought you enjoyed annoying this girl," Laharl said.

"I do. But I hate to see her like this. She really seems lonely, especially now that I spend most of my time with you." Tomo said.

And Tomo was right. Yomi would never admit it, but Tomo made her life interesting. Now Tomo spent most of her time with her new boyfriend, and hardly ever annoyed Yomi anymore.

Yomi sighed again, paid the bill, and left.

"Ah, oh well. She'll be over it by tomorrow." Tomo said (with her energy back)

…

Chiyo woke up. She looked around, and realized she didn't know what house she was in, but this house gave her an uneasy feeling.

"Ah, Chiyo-chan, so glad you're awake," Yukari said as she walked in.

"Y-y-Yukari-sensei!" Chiyo squealed.

"So, Chiyo, do you plan on getting a boyfriend?" Yukari asked as she sat down on the bed Chiyo was on.

Chiyo curled up. "Um…some time in the future…maybe"

"Oh, come on. Boyfriends are overrated. Remember those stories Nyamo told you? Do you really want to be like that?" Yukari asked.

"Um…well…I could…uh…always…avoid those kinds of situations…" Chiyo responded.

She knew where she was now. She was in Yukari's house. That's why it made her so uncomfortable. She curled up some more.

"Hey, Chiyo-chan, want to hear some of my dirty stories?" Yukari asked, with a very evil smile.

"Um…N-no, that's OK, really…" Chiyo said, curled up as tightly as possible.

"OK, ya talked me into it…" Yukari said. "Well…

Imagine the same music from when Nyamo spoke about 'ero-ero'. However, Chiyo didn't seem the least bit grossed out. After Yukari was done, Chiyo sat there, looking very serious.

"So?" Chiyo asked. "Having sex is a part of life. I've already had to work in the child delivery service at the hospital."

That's when Chiyo got an idea. A very evil idea that she knew would chase Yukari away. Chiyo smiled evilly.

"Ah, there's a thought." Chiyo said. "I could explain to you some stories from the hospital. They're very gruesome."

Yukari now had a worried look on her face.

"N-no, that's OK, really…" Yukari said.

"OK, ya talked me into it." Chiyo said. "Well…"

Music from when Nyamo spoke about 'ero-ero' again. Yukari, however, is giving some of the most disgusted faces ever.

"GAH!! I don't want to listen anymore!" Yukari wailed, "I'm going to have nightmares for weeks! AHHHHHH!!"

And she went screaming out of the room.

Which left Chiyo sitting there, completely uncurled, a big smile on her face. Her fear of Yukari was now almost completely gone.

"That'll teach her," Chiyo said to herself.

Chiyo got down off the bed, and left Yukari's house.

…

Kaorin went into Chihiro's office, but this time she was accompanied by Kagura.

"Ah, Kaorin, so glad to see you back," Chihiro said. "And Kagura, what are you doing here?"

"Chihiro, Kagura and I are…girlfriends." Kaorin said.

"Well, that's nice. So glad to see you've found someone in your life, Kaorin." Chihiro said.

She then went over to Kagura, and put one hand on her shoulder.

"I heard about your jerk of a boyfriend. I can see why you would choose this life path." Chihiro said.

She took her hand off of Kagura's shoulder, and then looked at Kaorin.

"Well, Kaorin, do you believe you really need counseling anymore?" Chihiro asked.

Kaorin shook her head. Kagura pulled her close.

"Ok, then, I'm going home, I'll see you guys later," Chihiro said, as she bowed, and left.

"Hey, Chihiro, did you ever find a boyfriend?" Kagura asked.

"Yeah, I did. I met him in Tokyo, and he knew me well. At first, I thought he was a stalker, but he really knew how to talk to me. I loved him so much, and now we're even married." Chihiro said, as she showed them her ring.

She turned, got in an open elevator, and pushed the button.

"Hey, what's his name?" Kagura asked before the doors closed.

"Kiyohiko Azuma," Chihiro said, as the doors closed.

Kagura and Kaorin stood there for a minute.

"Does that name sound familiar to you?" Kagura asked.

"It does, almost like I know it from somewhere," Kaorin said.

(Insert 'Twilight Zone' theme song)

…

"Hey, honey." Chihiro said as she walked out to greet her husband.

"Talking with Kagura and Kaorin?" Azuma asked.

"Yes, how did you know?" Chihiro asked.

"I have my ways…" Azuma said.

(More 'Twilight Zone')

…

Author's Notes: Naoki Yanagi is the name of the voice actor of the guy who had his bike stolen in episode one. Yeah, lack of imagination on my part, but, hey, he seemed like a nice guy…

Oh, and the reason Tomo never became an ICPO officer will be revealed in the next saga.

And finally, I know Chihiro lovers are going to love the fact that I hooked her up with the author.

Next Chapter: The Wrap-up, End Relationship Saga


	45. The Wrapup, End Relation saga

The Wrap-up, End Relationship saga

…

Monday Morning

…

Osaka, still lying under the kotatsu, raised her arms straight up into the air, and then sat up herself. She sighed. She hated Mondays.

Still…

She looked over at Arata, who did the same thing she did when she woke up. This made Osaka smile.

"Morning, Arata," Osaka said.

"How long did we sleep?" Arata asked.

Osaka checked her watch.

"A good two days." Osaka said, like it was nothing.

"Man, two days. But I think it was an awesome two days…." Arata said, smiling at Osaka. "…Kasuga."

Osaka and Arata kissed again.

Osaka and Arata got up, ate breakfast, and left for work.

…

"Hey, Osaka, nobody heard from you all throughout the weekend," Tomo said as she saw Osaka coming to school "What happened?"

"I spent the past two days under an kotatsu with Arata." Osaka said, still in a little bit of a dream state.

"Oh, did uh…anything happen?" Tomo asked, staring off into the sky.

"Huh?" Osaka asked.

"You know…did you guys…" Tomo said, touching the points of her fingers together.

"Oh, no, we just slept." Osaka said.

"For two days?!" Tomo said in amazement.

"Yeah, and it was awesome," Osaka said, back to her dreamy state.

Yukari then came walking up behind Tomo.

"Man, oh man, what a night," Yukari complained. "I got no sleep at all. That damn Chiyo told me horror stories…"

"Osaka spent the last two days sleeping with Arata under an kotatsu," Tomo said, slightly irritated.

"Wow…" Even Yukari herself had never spent a whole two days sleeping.

"So, how are things with Yomi?" Yukari asked. Tomo had told her about Yomi's dating problems.

"Oh, I'm going to taunt her about it tonight!" Tomo said energetically "I'm so going to enjoy it!"

…

Tuesday

…

Tomo walked home from work She seemed…unenergetic.

Tomo sighed. She usually enjoyed annoying Yomi, but only because Yomi would never take it.

…

Flashback to Monday afternoon

…

"Hey, Yomi, saw that you didn't have a whole lot of success with guys!" Tomo said in her usual energetic way.

Yomi just looked at her, and sighed heavily.

"You saw right…" Yomi said in a depressed state.

"Aw, c'mon Yomi, I'm sure you'll get some fat guy to date you!" Tomo said (still energetic)

"No, I'm pretty sure even the fat guys won't date me…" Yomi said, still depressed.

Yomi walked back into her house (not even closing the door), and laid back down on her floor, and stared at the ceiling.

…

End flashback

…

Tomo felt awful for doing that to a manically depressed Yomi. She enjoyed irritating Yomi, not making her depressed.

Tomo walked into her house.

(A few minutes later…)

"DAMN IIIIIIIIIT!!" Tomo came running out of her house, seething in rage. "Where the hell is he?!"

…

"Are you sure Tomo will enjoy this outfit?" Laharl asked, referring to the bag he was holding as he and Joe walked out of a cosplayer store.

"I had a dream of it over the course of Christmas. I think it will be perfect for her." Joe said.

As Joe and Laharl walked back into their part of the neighborhood, Tomo came running up to them.

"Ah, Tomo-chan, look what I…" Laharl was immediately tackled by Tomo, and had her hands on his throat.

"WHY DO YOU DO IT?! HOW DO YOU DO IT?!" Tomo yelled.

Laharl couldn't respond. He was being choked by Tomo.

"Tomo, settle down!" Joe said, as he went behind Tomo, and put her in an arm lock to make her let go. Laharl let out a gasp for air.

"I NEVER DO IT!! WHY IS IT YOU FEEL THE NEED TO?!!" Tomo continued to yell.

"Geez, Tomo, you sound like Yomi." Joe pointed out.

Tomo immediately stopped and settled down.

"Uh…sorry, I didn't mean that…" Joe said quickly as he let her down.

"No, it's not that." Tomo said in an unenergetic manner. "It's just that Yomi has become depressed since everybody else started dating. And I tried to tease her about it, but it just made her even more depressed."

"Geez, that's not good," Laharl said. He had managed to recover from Tomo choking him, and was now sitting on the ground.

"Oh, that reminds me," Joe said, eager to change the subject "Why did come running to choke Laharl?"

"He peed on the seat again…" Tomo said, clenching her fist in anger.

"What?" Laharl asked. "My aim's a little off…"

"Why do you do it?!" Tomo said, her anger rising. "I never have this problem! Why do you?!!"

"TOMO!" Joe yelled, grabbing her attention. "It's something all guys do."

"But…why hasn't Sakaki or Osaka complained about that yet?" Tomo asked.

"Well, I don't know about Osaka, but I was…trained." Joe said, sweat-dropping.

"What do you mean?" Tomo asked.

"Well, um…to put it simply, I was trained to wipe the seat when I'm done. I just do it automatically now." Joe said, kind of embarrassed about it.

Tomo and Laharl stared at him for a minute.

"Dude, you're a trained wuss," Laharl said.

"At least I won't have to worry about Sakaki coming to choke me," Joe retaliated in an instant.

"Ah, touché" Laharl said.

Joe's cell phone went off.

"Hello?"

"Get your own goddamn lines!!" vegeta3986 yelled, and hung up.

…

And now, I present to you, Spoiler Theater:

…

Laharl and Tomo went home, and Laharl powered up the computer, and jumped on the internet.

"Holy cow!" Laharl said. "Tomo, look at this!"

Tomo looked at the computer, and gasped.

"We've gotta get everybody else over here!" Tomo said.

…

After gathering everybody (except, conspicuously, Sakaki and Joe) at Tomo's house

…

"So, Tomo, since you wouldn't tell us over the phone, why are we here?" Kaorin asked.

"Check out the online spoiler!" Laharl said.

Everybody in there checked the computer, and gasped.

"Yeah, Joe and Sakaki are headed off to America!! The United States!" Tomo said.

"Without even telling us…that's mean…" Yukari said.

"Hey, Yukari, just because they're going doesn't mean we don't have to…" Tomo said, instigating that they go.

"But don't you have school to do?" Chiyo asked.

"Chiyo, read the spoiler. This happens in the summer!" Tomo said.

"It would be nice to go to the United States," Osaka said. "I would love to see what you've done with it, Chiyo-chan…"

"What she's done with it?" Arata asked.

"Yeah, she became president, and a whole bunch of little Chiyo's took over." Osaka explained.

"Oh…" Arata said. "Little Chiyo's…" and he began staring off.

"Yeah…little Chiyo's…" Osaka joined him in staring.

"I don't know why I would want to go…" Yomi said, still depressed.

Tomo immediately jumped over to Yomi, and grabbed her collar.

"Yomi…think about it…Diets are made or broken in America. There are thousands of people over there that have overcome obesity. There's a very good chance you could possibly get a boyfriend over there."

Tomo thought she saw a light in Yomi's eyes, but only for a second.

"Geez, Tomo, since when did you help Yomi?" Nyamo asked.

"I can't stand it! I can't irritate her anymore! She's become so manically depressed! It's driving me insane!!" Tomo yelled.

"Settle down, Tomo, she just asked." Kagura said.

Tomo settled down (slightly), and let Yomi go.

"So…what's the plan?" Yomi asked.

"I say, we don't tell those two that we know, and then when they come to the airport, we'll be standing right there, tell them we're going, and surprise them both! Hahahahahaha!" Laharl laughed.

Everybody sweat-dropped (except for Tomo).

"And that's why I like him!" Tomo said, in the energetic Tomo way.

"But what about tickets?" Saotome asked.

"That's easy. It's fall, we can get our tickets for the summer easily by this time!" Laharl said.

"I meant the cost. It isn't exactly easy to get that sort of money on a teacher's wage…" Saotome said.

"Ebay. You can get tickets for cheap prices, as long as you buy them ahead of time." Tomo said.

"How do you know this?" Yukari asked, which seemed to be on everybody's mind.

"What part of 'online spoiler' don't you get?" Laharl asked.

"OK, then, so it's all agreed that we go?" Tomo asked.

"Agreed!" Everybody said.

"Little Chiyo's…" both Arata and Osaka said, still staring off into space. Everybody sweat dropped.

…

Author's notes: hehe…Tomo is having guy problems already.

Vegeta3986 is reference to Naruto abridged, one of the most hilarious series, even if you hate Naruto. (except for episode 1, that was bad)

Just look up "Naruto Abridged" on Youtube.

So, yes, Joe and Sakaki will have plans to go to America (they don't have them yet. Damn online spoilers ruined everything) so all of the other Azu-girls and their boyfriends now plan to go with them, using the online spoiler as a reference.

So, the next saga has them preparing, and going to America, as well as a few things they do in America. From what I have planned thus far, it is going to be the longest saga, so it may be a good while before I produce anything more.

See you later!

JBK2K1


	46. Chiyo's Birthday, begin American Saga

Chiyo's Birthday, Begin American Saga

Guest Appearance: Miyako Uehara (Shiny head) from Pani Poni Dash!

…

June 3rd

…

Chiyo sat upstairs in her room, just like she had 4 years ago. All of the girls sat around her, just like they did 4 years ago. This time, however, Arata, Laharl, and Joe all sat in her room as well (sitting next to their respective girlfriends).

Chiyo was finally turning 17. One more year, and she would be considered a full grown adult.

"Somehow, I thought she would be taller by 17," Laharl said.

"Hey, c'mon now, be nice. It's her birthday." Joe said.

"So, happy birthday, Chiyo. This is from all of us." Kaorin said, as she handed her a small package.

"From all you guys? Wow," Chiyo said as she pulled the top off the package. "What did you…"

Chiyo stopped, and stared into the package in shock.

"You…got…" Chiyo pulled out a ticket.

"Yomiuri Giants hosting the Hanshin Tigers. June 3rd." the ticket read. (It also had the seat information on there)

"You guys got me a Giants ticket?" Chiyo said, looking excited.

"Yeah, we figured since they were big time rivals, and you are a big time fan, you would want to go." Yomi said. (She was actually smiling, but she was one reminder of 'no-boyfriend' away from depression again)

"Yeah, and my parents told me that the tickets were sold out! How did you get these?!" Chiyo asked.

"Ebay" everybody responded.

"Thanks, guys!" Chiyo said, continuing to look at the ticket.

"And Sakaki and I are going with you!" Joe announced.

"HUH?!" Everybody went.

"Yeah," Joe said as he pulled two tickets out of his pocket (the seats were right next to Chiyo's) "I figured it would be lonely all alone by yourself at that game."

"Man, you plan everything, don't you?" Tomo asked (He had also been the one to contact them all for Chiyo's birthday idea)

"I'm a strategist, Tomo. I plan things out. It's what I do." Joe said.

…

It was a bright, sunny day in the Giants stadium.

Joe, Sakaki and Chiyo found their seats. They were in left-center field, front row.

Chiyo sat in-between Joe and Sakaki at the game.

Damn, Joe thought. One small mistake in his plan.

"Thanks again for coming, you two," Chiyo said. "My parents couldn't even come, so they were glad you guys could"

"Hey, what are friends for?" Joe said.

A girl with orange hair and glasses, wearing a Giants t-shirt, sat down next to Joe.

"Hello, there," Miyako said, turning her head towards Joe.

"Hello, th…" Joe turned his head, and was almost blinded. "Holy cow! Get that mirror out of my face!" Joe put his hands up to block his eyes from the light.

"Hey, it's not a mirror!" Miyako yelled, standing up in anger. Now Chiyo and Sakaki were blinded.

"Hey, c'mon!" Chiyo yelled. Both she and Sakaki now put their hands up to block their eyes from the harsh light.

Miyako sighed. She reached into the pocket of her jeans, and pulled out a Giants bandana, and tied it on her forehead.

The harsh light went away, so Sakaki, Chiyo, and Joe put their hands down.

"So, why are you here?" Joe asked the orange-haired girl.

"My name is Miyako Uehara. My older brother is Koji Uehara, one of the pitchers for the Giants." Miyako said.

Chiyo stood up in excitement at this new information.

"Really?! Koji Uehara is your brother?!! Could I possibly meet him later, and get his autograph?!" Chiyo asked.

"Um, Chiyo-chan, don't you already have the autographs of every Yomiuri Giants player in your room already?"Joe asked.

"Oh, yeah." Chiyo said as she realized it. "Well, than could I just meet him in person?"

"Oh, absolutely. Although the Giants have to win the game, otherwise he doesn't like to see anybody, including his family" Miyako said.

Chiyo stood there stunned for a minute at this new information, before turning to yell out into the field.

"GO GIANTS!! WIN IT!!! KICK THEIR BUTTS!!!" Chiyo yelled

"Ha!" Someone next to Sakaki said. "The Hanshin Tigers are going to win easily!"

All Joe, Sakaki, and Miyako turned towards the Tigers fan and glared. Chiyo was a little less reserved.

"SHUT UP!!" Chiyo yelled angrily.

"Tigers are going to win, Tigers are going to win…" the man stood up and taunted right in Chiyo's angry face.

Sakaki could see Chiyo was about two seconds from losing her self-restraint.

"Do you guys happen to have sunglasses?" Miyako whispered to Joe and Sakaki.

Joe raised his hand to one of those guys who's always selling stuff during the games. He threw a pair of clip-ons to Joe, and 2 pairs of sunglasses to Sakaki (who had raised her hand, and put two fingers up) Joe put the clip-on's on, and put them down. Sakaki put on her sunglasses, tapped Chiyo's shoulder, and gave her a pair.

"Tigers are gonna win, Tigers are gonna win…" the man continued to taunt.

Miyako undid her bandana, and tilted her head slightly.

"ARRRGH!! MY EYES!!!" the man yelled, as he covered his eyes, and began tilting back and forth. He then fell out of the stands.

Miyako put her bandana back on. Sakaki and Chiyo took their sunglasses off. Joe put his clip-on's up.

"DON'T MESS WITH GIANTS FANS!!" Chiyo yelled to the Tigers fan on the ground.

…

Somewhere during the 5th inning (score: 0-0)

…

Some Giants fans behind Chiyo, Joe, Sakaki, and Miyako left.

Chiyo stood straight up, and turned around, fists clenched.

"HEY! GET BACK INTO YOUR SEATS! THE GAME'S NOT OVER YET!!" Chiyo yelled angrily, surprising both Joe and Sakaki.

"Chiyo-chan…" they both said, stunned at Chiyo's yell.

"Well, I hate people who call themselves fans, and then leave before the game's over," Chiyo said angrily, sitting back down.

"Geez, you're a die-hard Giants fan, aren't you?" Miyako said.

"When she came back to MIT one year, she came running in, and asked me what the Giants score was." Joe said. "She was so mad at me when I didn't know; she wouldn't speak to me for the rest of the day."

"That is die-hard…" Miyako said with a sweat-drop.

…

End of the 8th inning. Score: 0-0

…

So, top of the ninth, Masanori Hayashi (who had done pretty well throughout the other 8 innings) threw three people walks, hit one guy, and got two double hits.

The score was now 5-0, Tigers.

NOOOO!! My chance to meet with a Giants player!! Chiyo thought.

That's when Hayashi left the game, and they brought in Koji Uehara to pitch. He easily threw three people out with his unhittable forkball.

"That's my brother out there." Miyako boasted.

…

Now came down to the final inning.

And apparently, the game had taken its toll on the other pitcher as well. He hit two people, as well as giving a double, which the guy on first ran home and made it. (Score: 5-2, Tigers)

Then they switched pitchers to Kyuji Fujikawa. He started poorly, throwing two people on to base. (Bases loaded for the Giants)

Then Fujikawa warmed up. He threw two people out easily. (Outs: 2)

Then, as if destined for it, Koji Uehara came up to hit.

Miyako and Chiyo both jumped out of their seats.

"GO, ONII-CHAN!! HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK!!!" Miyako yelled.

"C'MON KOJI!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!" Chiyo yelled.

"I'm stuck in-between two die-hard fans…" Joe mumbled with a sweat-drop.

Sakaki was stunned at Chiyo's complete and total change of personality when she's at a ball game.

Fujikawa threw three sliders that went outside the strike zone (count: 3-0)

He then threw two of his famous 'Hi-no-tama ball' (fireball) fastballs. Koji swung at both of these. The first one, he missed completely. The second one went foul. (Count 3-2)

So, this is what it came down to: 5-2, Tigers, Bases loaded, full count.

Down on the field, the catcher made a signal. The pitcher nodded.

Koji's eyes narrowed. Complete and total focus.

The ball was thrown.

CLACK!! The ball was hit, and went sailing right for the spot where Chiyo, Joe, Sakaki, and Miyako were sitting.

Joe and Sakaki now stood up in excitement. The ball was headed for them.

All four of them watched as the ball sailed in their direction, but it was going to be high. Too high for even Joe and Sakaki to reach.

"Oh, no! You guys can't reach it! We're going to lose the home run ball!!" Chiyo yelled.

Joe and Sakaki looked at Chiyo, and then looked at each other. That's when they got the idea.

"Chiyo! We're going to lift you up!" Joe yelled, and both he and Sakaki hosted Chiyo up into the air.

Chiyo lifted her glove way up, way up, way up…and caught the home run ball.

The stadium burst into cheering, and applause. Koji hit a Grand Slam that won the game for the Yomiuri Giants, 6-5 against the Hanshin Tigers.

Sakaki and Joe put Chiyo down. Chiyo had that glowing happy face (like the one she had before going to Okinawa).

"Wow, you caught my brother's home run ball. I'm sure if we asked, he would sign it for you." Miyako said after the crowd had calmed down.

Chiyo started shaking in excitement.

"I'm…I'm…gonna meet…." Chiyo couldn't even form sentences, she was so excited.

…

Joe, Sakaki, Chiyo, and Miyako walked close to the locker room, where security guards sat.

"OK, since she's the one who caught the ball, she's the only one to come in." Miyako said, pointing to Chiyo.

"Fine by me, she's the Giants fan" Joe said.

Sakaki nodded in agreement.

Miyako and Chiyo walked past the security guard, and into the Giants locker room.

"Chiyo is never going to forget this day," Joe said with a smile.

Sakaki nodded again, smiling this time.

…

Chiyo could barely breathe, she was so eccentric.

"I'm…in the locker room…with the Giants…!" She squeaked.

"Onii-chan!" Miyako cried out, and ran to her older brother.

"Ah, imouto-san! (younger sister) So that's why I didn't see any glints in the stadium" he said, pointing to Miyako's bandana. "Did you see the game?" Koji asked

"Yes, I did. Actually, I brought the fan that caught your home-run ball." Miyako said, and turned to show Chiyo. "It's her birthday" Miyako whispered in Koji's ear.

"Hello, there." Koji said to Chiyo. "What's your name?"

Chiyo's breathing was hard. "I'm…Ch-ch-Chiyo M-m-Mihama…I-I'm a b-b-big fan…"

"So, would you like me to sign the ball?" Koji asked, putting his hand out.

Chiyo's hands shot out, cradling the home-run ball. "Yes, I'd love you to!"

Koji took the ball, and pulled out a permanent marker out of his locker. He then signed:

To Chiyo Mihama:

Thanks for Catching my Grand Slam ball

Happy Birthday!

From: Koji Uehara, Giants Pitcher

He blew on it to dry the ink, and then handed the ball back to Chiyo.

Koji Uehara blew on the ball!! Chiyo thought eccentrically.

"T-Thank you very much!!!" Chiyo yelled, and bowed.

"Well, I've got to get going. See you later, Miyako." Koji said as he stood up.

"See you later, Koji" Miyako said.

"Thanks again for catching that ball, kid," Koji said as he walked by Chiyo, and rubbed his hand on Chiyo's forehead.

Koji Uehara touched my head!!!!!! Chiyo thought.

"Well, I suppose we should go…" Miyako said to Chiyo.

Chiyo simply passed out.

"Excitement finally got to her…" Miyako said with a smile.

…

Chiyo and Miyako walked out to find Joe and Sakaki, standing there waiting for them (no, they hadn't been making out. They had been expecting to be called in to help Chiyo get out after passing out, or mauling one of the players)

"So, how did it go in there?" Joe asked.

"Koji…Uehara…touched my head…" Chiyo said. "I'm never washing my head again…"

"I hope you're kidding," Joe said with a smile.

Chiyo looked right up at Joe, and bowed.

"Thank you…for this wonderful birthday…I'll never forget it." Chiyo said.

…

Chiyo, Joe, Sakaki, and Miyako all walked out of the stadium.

"Well, thank you Miyako, for everything," Joe said, and bowed.

"Yes, thank you," Chiyo and Sakaki said in unison, and bowed also.

"No problem. Always glad to help a big fan." Miyako said.

"Hey, Joe!!" Joe heard Tomo call out.

Tomo, Kagura, and Osaka all came running up.

"We saw Chiyo catch the game winning ball! Way to go, Chiyo!" Kagura said, giving her the thumbs up.

"So, who's your friend with the bandana over her forehead?" Tomo asked.

"My name is Miyako Uehara. Pleased to meet you." Miyako said, and bowed.

"Why are you covering up your forehead?" Osaka asked. "Do you have alien warts?"

"uh…no," Miyako said, surprised at Osaka.

Tomo wanted to know (and we all know Tomo). She went up, grabbed the bandana, and ripped it off.

"Woah, shiny…" Osaka said, staring at herself in the reflection.

"So that's what you were covering up! A mirror of a forehead! Hahaha!!" Tomo yelled.

Kagura was already laughing.

Miyako's anger reached peak.

"SHUT UP!!" She angled her forehead precisely. A beam of light hit off of her forehead, and hit right underneath Kagura, Osaka, and Tomo, causing an explosion that sent the three of them flying.

"Well, I never saw that coming," Tomo said.

"Neither did I," Kagura said.

"It would seem that we were beaten by miss shiny head," Osaka said

"I just hope for a soft landing!" Tomo said.

"LOOKS LIKE TEAM BONKURA'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!!" (ting!)

…

Author's Notes: hehe…such an aweful rip on Pokemon right at the end, but I couldn't help it. As I always tell people at home 'I saw an opportunity, and I seized it"

There is an actual player by the name of Koji Uehara playing on the Yomiuri Giants. And Kyuji Fujikawa is an actual pitcher for the Hanshin Tigers.

I 3 Wikipedia!!

Oh, yeah, and the game itself is completely fictional.

Next Chapter: The Proposal


	47. The Proposal

The Proposal

Guests: Rei Tachibana from Pani Poni Dash, as well as Shinobu Maehara from Love Hina!

Note: Sorry, this is going to be a Joe/Sakaki focus chapter.

…

June 16th

…

It was now officially summer. School was finally out, which meant lots of celebration!

"A-choi!"

Well, not for some…

"A-choi!"

Osaka sat on a couch in her house next to Arata. Turns out they both get hay fever this time of year.

"Ah…ah…" Arata started.

(Outside of Osaka's house jumps, as we here "CHOOOO!!")

"Wow, you have powerful sneezes…" Osaka said, nose all stuffy.

Arata holds up the tissue he had sneezed into. A big hole had appeared right in the middle of it.

"I'm surprised you have such…quiet sneezes" Arata said.

"A-choi!" Osaka took a tissue from the box they had sitting on the table, and blew her nose.

"Well, at least I get to spend time with you, Arata." Osaka said as she smiled.

"Yeah, I'm enjoying spending the time with you, too…Kasuga…" Arata said as he smiled.

Osaka and Arata leaned in close to kiss…

"A-choi!"

Arata backed up, and wiped his face off with a tissue.

"Sorry," Osaka said.

"That's OK, I would hate it to ha…ah…ah…" Arata started up.

He grabbed a tissue, and pulled it over his nose.

"CHOOOO!" Arata looks at the tissue to once again find a hole in it.

"…have it been me that sneezed." Arata finished.

"I can see why now…" Osaka said, scooting herself away from Arata just a bit.

…

Scene Change

…

Joe was sitting down on the couch, playing video games. He checked his watch. It read 3:30 pm.

Joe had made special reservations to 'Fancy!!' Diner for 5:00, for he and Sakaki were going to go out on a date. But it was going to be more than just that. (You'll find out later)

'Fancy!!' was one of the most expensive restaurants in Japan. You wouldn't ever need to reserve a seat; it was so expensive that they were never actually full. But Joe felt the need to reserve a table anyway.

Meanwhile, Sakaki was getting ready.

See, what Joe had learned from all friends and family in America, if you plan on going anywhere fancy to eat, give a girl more than an hour to ready herself, because it will take that long. Don't ask them why it does, it just does.

So he had told her that he had made special reservations to the restaurant when she came home at 3:15. Somehow, though, he was expecting a bit more of a surprise than what he got. It's almost as if Sakaki knew…

…

4:30

…

Joe pulled his "James Bond" suit out of his closet, and his contacts (these were regular contacts, that he now only wore on special occasions), and went into his bathroom. (Sakaki's, or the girls bathroom, was located somewhere else in the house)

(5 minutes later)

Joe was completely dressed, and had his contacts in.

Joe hummed the "James Bond" theme, as he adjusted his suit.

He then reached into his cabinet, and pulled out a new nose-spray medicine, "No-Nosebleed", and sprayed once in both nostrils.

Joe went and waited outside the bathroom for Sakaki to come out. He gasped as she did.

The black dress she was wearing sparkled in the light. The only thing it left uncovered on her body was her arms. The dress almost went down to the floor, but Joe could easily see she was wearing black high-heals that also sparkled. She wore her sparkling Nekoconeko diamond earrings, and had combed her hair down so that not a strand of hair was out of line. The air just seemed to sparkle around her as she made her way down the steps.

"You look…fantasic," Joe said, still in awe.

"Thank you, so do you." Sakaki said with a smile.

"Shall we?" Joe said, offering her his arm.

"Let's," Sakaki said, as she lightly grabbed hold of his arm.

A limo met them outside, and drove them off to their dinner date.

…

Tomo and Laharl sat in their room, reading the online spoiler, and checking their watch.

"OK, they should be going to the 'Fancy!!' restaurant now" Laharl said.

"I have to admit, Joe planned this stuff perfectly," Tomo said.

"And by the looks of it, you planned something, too…" Laharl said, smiling evilly.

"hehehe…I think everybody in that restaurant is going to laugh.." Tomo said, trying to hold back a laugh herself.

…

5:00

…

Joe exited the limo, and then helped Sakaki get out. Joe and Sakaki walked up to the restaurant, and entered.

"Reservation for Joe" Joe said to the guy standing at the reservation book.

The man looked in his book, and found the name.

"Ah, yes, just one moment," the guy said. "Rei", he said into his mic on his suit.

Rei Tachibana walked up (she had quit her job at the Chinese restaurant, because this restaurant paid better)

"Please lead these two to seat #45" the guy said.

"Sakaki , you go ahead, I need to talk to this man for just a minute," Joe said, with one hand on her back.

Sakaki smiled at him, and followed Rei to her seat.

Joe leaned on the podium. The guy knew he was going to talk about tips.

"If a guy were to say he tips well, what would he give, hypothetically?" Joe asked.

"Depends on what he ordered, but on average, ah… I'd have to say about 10,000 yen," the guy said (which was true), "but we usually end up splitting it between all of us in the restaurant"

"Well," Joe looked around to make sure no one else was looking, and then looked back at the guy. "Tell you what. I'll have you guys split a 1,000,000-yen bill…

Joe then held up his empty hand, and showed the guy it was completely empty. Then he waved his other hand over his empty hand, and a 1,000,000-yen bill appeared in his hand.

"…but ONLY if it goes well." Joe said. "I would like the food to be exquisite, the waitress to treat us like normal customers, and we wouldn't like to wait if we need refills on our drinks."

The guy's brow sweated slightly. "I…understand perfectly, sir." he said.

"Oh, and so none of the waitresses argue about who's going to serve us, that waitress that showed my girlfriend to the table, she can serve us." Joe said, as he waved his hand over the 1,000,000-yen bill, and made it disappear.

Joe then proceeded to walk to his table, a smile on his face. He knew he talked the right 'language' to the reservation man. (called the 'cha-ching' language)

"Rei! As soon as you are done with them, come back here ASAP!" the man said quickly into his mic.

…

Joe proceeded to his table, and sat down across from Sakaki.

Rei touched her ear as she received the message from the greeter, and then took out her order book.

"And what can I get you to drink?" Rei asked.

"What do you have?" Joe asked.

"We have multiple kinds, from alcoholic to any kind of soda. Imported from all over the world, including America." Rei recited.

"See now why I chose this place?" Joe said to Sakaki with a smile. "Go ahead, it's on me tonight."

Sakaki just smiled back. "I'll have one small glass of sake, plus a regular Cola."

Joe smiled. "I'll have regular Mountain Dew, no ice. And with it, Vodka Martini, shaken, not stirred."

Rei looked at him weirdly, but only for a second.

Bond fanatic, she thought.

"OK, I'll be back with your drinks in just a moment." Rei said, and left to go talk with the greeter.

"So, trying out sake for the first time?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, I figured I might as well try it out, decide if I really like it or not," Sakaki said in her cool tone. "Besides, in moderation, you don't get drunk."

Hm, how so true, Joe thought, as he stared at Sakaki's awe-inspiring beauty.

…

A waitress sent two more people to there seats as Rei came back to talk to the greeter.

"What is it?" Rei asked.

The greeter turned Rei so that only she and the greeter could hear.

"That man that you sent to table 45. He held up a 1,000,000-yen bill, and said that if we did well, that bill would be split between all of us!" he said.

Rei's eyes went slightly wide. Calculating in her head, she would get 50,000 yen. (10 waitresses, 9 cooks, and the greeter himself. 1,000,000 / 20 50,000 yen (about $500 US!); for those that don't like math)

"He requested that only you wait on him. He doesn't want to wait for refills on his drinks, and he wants the food to be exquisite" he continued.

Rei looked seriously at him.

"The secret weapon?" Rei asked.

"The secret weapon." the man said, and nodded.

"Got it." Rei said, as she walked quickly to the kitchen.

All right, Rei, work your magic, the greeter thought, as two more people came in.

…

Rei went into the kitchen, went past the 8 cooks that were already cooking, and went into another separate kitchen that housed only one cook. One very special cook.

"Shinobu!" Rei said seriously, hands on her hips.

"Yes, Rei?" Shinobu asked cheerfully. Most of the time, she would cook one special dish at a time, while the other cooks did most of the other cooking.

"We've got a high tipper. A VERY high tipper." Rei said.

"How high?" Shinobu asked, now seriously.

"Split between all of us, 50,000 yen apiece." Rei said.

Shinobu gasped, and a pan fell to the floor.

"He requested that his food be exquisite." Rei said.

"Yes, maim!" Shinobu said, as she saluted.

Rei nodded, and walked off to get the sodas. She knew that the food's condition was in good hands.

Sempai, I will cook this food well for them, just like I would for you and Naru-sempai, Shinobu thought, feeling confident as she picked up the pan.

…

Rei brought Joe and Sakaki their drinks. They had been talking a little bit about their past.

"Here you go, let me know when you are ready to order," Rei said, as she bowed and left.

Sakaki reached for her alcoholic drink.

"Hey, how about a toast?" Joe asked, as he reached for his drink.

Sakaki and Joe raised their glasses.

"To us, for being so very happy together." Joe said.

Sakaki nodded, and both of them swallowed their entire drink.

Both of them flinched. Neither of them liked the taste of alcohol.

Joe and Sakaki both chuckled slightly, as they picked up their menus, and scrolled around.

"Are you ready to order?" Rei asked, returning to the table after a few minutes.

"Sakaki?" Joe asked.

Sakaki nodded, indicating she was ready.

"What will you have?" Rei asked, pulling out her order book.

"I'll have Matsusaka beef, well done." Joe said, and handed Rei his menu.

"I'll have the same…" Sakaki said in cool quiet manner, and handed Rei her menu as well.

"Right away!" Rei said, bowed and left.

…

Back in the kitchen where Shinobu was, Rei came in.

"Two orders of Matsusaka beef." Rei said, in a collected manner.

"Wow, expensive taste," Shinobu said.

"I know. But big tippers often have expensive taste." Rei said.

Shinobu nodded in agreement.

"OK, time to work," She said to herself, and ran into the freezer to grab two slabs of Matsusaka beef.

However, in her hurry, she didn't open the freezer door all the way, and the freezer door slammed shut with her still in the freezer.

Rei sighed, dropped her head, and sweat-dropped all at once. "I hope this works out…" she said to herself, as she went to help Shinobu out of the freezer.

…

"While we're waiting for the food, I have to run to the bathroom. Be right back." Joe said.

Sakaki nodded, and Joe ran off to the bathrooms.

…

In the bathroom

…

Joe opened the door, and instantly noticed how nice and clean the bathroom was. He walked in, did his business (#1), and washed his hands. He then looked at himself in the mirror.

He took a few deep breaths. He was having a very hard time keeping his cool around Sakaki, especially tonight. The butterflies in his stomach were having a wild party.

And he knew why.

He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a very small box. He opened the box.

Inside was a sparkling diamond ring.

Tonight, he was going to ask Sakaki to marry him.

That's why he had asked the guy at the front to make sure everything went well. He wanted it to be perfect.

Joe closed the box, and put the box back into his pocket. He wondered to himself when the perfect time to ask would be.

Maybe…after the meal itself is over...Yeah, so then that way she can say yes or no with an empty mouth…and so she doesn't choke when I ask her…Joe thought.

The butterflies pulled out a trampoline, and started bouncing on it.

Joe breathed slowly to try to calm himself down some more.

…

Meanwhile

…

Sakaki sat at the table, smiling.

It was nice of Joe to bring her to this fancy place. But Tomo had already told her why he had brought her out here in the first place.

Still, it was nice of him to bring me here, Sakaki thought.

…

Rei finally got the big heavy freezer door open.

"Shinobu?! Are you OK?" Rei asked nervously. Her tip was on the line.

Shinobu came out, slightly shivering, carrying two orders of Matsusaka beef.

"I-I'm f-fine," Shinobu stuttered in chill. "J-just tell them t-the Matsusaka beef is c-cooking."

Shinobu put the two orders of beef on the firegrill and then tried warming herself up through the heat.

"Are you sure you'll be OK?" Rei asked, concerned (but only about her tip, because it's Rei)

"I'M FINE! JUST GO!" Shinobu yelled. "Sorry," she said as she calmed down.

"Ah, don't worry about it." Rei said, as she walked out to inform those two about the beef.

…

Joe returned to the table.

"Sorry it took me so long," Joe said.

"No, that's fine." Sakaki said. "Listen, thank you for bringing me out here tonight, and treating me to such an expensive restaurant."

"It's really nothing," Joe said. The butterflies had multiplied, and were now bouncing all around the walls of his stomach.

"So, Sakaki, I never did ask you, what is your first name?" Joe asked.

Sakaki blushed slightly, and looked up at Joe.

"Only if you tell me your last name first." Sakaki said coolly.

Joe took a deep breath to (try) to make the butterflies stop. It truly felt like Sakaki had almost done that on purpose.

"Well, I had it changed when I left my house, because my father left my mother and my 3 brothers when I was 12, and it was his last name, so I hated it."

Sakaki now listened intently.

"I was Japan-obsessed by then, so I had my last name changed to…" he took a deep breath. "Ichirou"

Sakaki giggled slightly, which made Joe blush indecently.

"Joe Ichirou, has a nice ring to it." Sakaki said, "And it makes sense, too. Ichirou meaning 'first child', usually given to a boy."

That made Joe relax slightly. To know that Sakaki approved (somewhat) of the last name he had chosen.

"But Ichirou is usually a first name, not a last," Sakaki said, with a closed-eye smile.

The relaxation left. That made Joe feel even that much worse.

"So, how about your first name?" Joe asked. He could already tell by his voice he was losing his cool again.

"Well," Sakaki blushed slightly. "It's… Tanaka… "

"Tanaka Sakaki…That's beautiful…" Joe said. "I…need to go to the bathroom again."

Joe left the table again. Sakaki could tell he was nervous, but as what for, she didn't know.

"Maim, did your date leave?" Rei asked nervously (the tipper was gone)

"No, he's just going to the bathroom." Sakaki said coolly.

"Oh, well, the beef is cooking, it will be ready in about 10 more minutes," Rei said (she really had to hold back from breathing a sigh of relief)

"Oh, Ok, I'll tell him when he comes back." Sakaki said.

Rei bowed and left. About half-way back to the kitchen, it hit her on just what they might be here for.

"That's why he's tipping big!" she whispered to herself. "And that's why he's in the bathroom!"

…

Joe stood in front of that same mirror, nervousness overtaking him once more.

"C'mon, Joe, you can do this, focus…focus…get it together, get it together…"

He stopped, and slapped his hand over his mouth to keep from screaming.

OH MY GOD, I'M TURNING INTO OSAKA!!! He thought.

…

Nobody heard Joe scream. He covered his mouth with lots of paper towel, as well as his hands. He washed his hands, and returned to the table, coolness restored (hey, sometimes yelling out is all what you really need to do)

"Sorry that took so long," Joe said.

"No, I don't mind one bit," Sakaki said coolly.

It was at that point that the Matsusaka beef, completely cut, came to the table (yes, Joe had been in the bathroom trying to calm himself down for over 10 minutes)

Sakaki and Joe broke their chopsticks, and took one piece. They could both agree that it was the most delicious beef they had ever tasted.

…

And now we come to the finale, after the meal

…

Joe set his chopsticks down on his plate. Sakaki also set her's down.

They both knew it had come to that time of the night.

Joe took a deep breath, and started his speech.

"Sakaki…um…I've known you for a ye…well, almost a year…and, I've really enjoyed the time I spent with you…especially when we became boyfriend and girlfriend…"

"It's OK, Joe" Sakaki said coolly. "You don't need to give me the speech, I already know."

Joe's eyes went wide.

"Huh? How do you know?" Joe asked.

"Tomo told me, she apparently read an online spoiler." Sakaki said.

"Oh, so…she knew?" Joe asked.

Sakaki nodded her head.

"Oh, well then…um…" Joe said.

"I respect your life choices, and I hope you live a happy life," Sakaki said. "I just hope it wasn't me that drove you to the decision" And she got up to leave.

"Woah, wait, Sakaki!" Joe said as she grabbed her arm and stopped her. "It was because of you that I'm making this decision in the first place!"

"Oh, so it was me that drove you to decide, then?!" Sakaki said, tears of anger beginning to form in her eyes.

Joe let go of Sakaki's arm, and put up the 'time-out' sign

"OK, now, I somehow get the feeling that we are talking about two totally separate things here. I suppose I should ask, what did Tomo say?"

Sakaki's tears went away. "She said you took me out here tonight, so that you could tell me…"

"Tell you what?" Joe asked.

"That you were gay."

The entire diner went quiet. Rei just stopped. Shinobu heard it all the way in the kitchen, and dropped a few more pans.

"Well, never saw that coming," Rei said calmly to herself.

Tomo, I hate you so damn much right now, Joe thought angrily. He could already see Tomo at home, laughing so hard, she couldn't breathe.

"No, Sakaki, I'm not gay…and I'm surprised that you listened to Tomo." Joe said.

"Oh…" Sakaki said, taking in what Joe just said.

Sakaki sat back down. The diner picked back up in noise, now that they knew the guy wasn't gay.

So, if this dinner is not to tell me that he was gay, what is it for? Sakaki thought.

"Now, where was I?" Joe said to himself. "Oh…yeah,"

He took another deep breath. Here it was, the final moment…

"Sakaki, I loved the day that you and I officially became boyfriend and girlfriend, and I've enjoyed the moments we've spent together. And…"

Joe stood up. The diner went quiet again. Shinobu came running out to witness.

"I…would like to…no, love… to spend the rest of my life with you. I guess what I'm trying to say is…"

Joe pulled the box out of his pocket, and got down on one knee. He then opened the box, revealing the big diamond ring.

"Tanaka Sakaki, will you marry me?"

Sakaki gasped. Her eyes went wide, and she remained silent for a minute, staring at the diamond ring.

Was she really ready for a commitment such as marriage? Was it really the right guy to spend the rest of her life with? All these things rushed through her mind.

Then she had flashbacks. She could see all the time she had spent with Joe, even though it had only been a year. All the fun things they had done together, all the things he had done for her, and her friends.

A moment flashed in her head, and stuck there. The moment when Joe came back from his job before Christmas time, how they spent a good few minutes, just kissing, because they truly loved each other so much.

Sakaki smiled at this flashback.

"Sakaki?" Joe asked nervously.

Sakaki's eyes watered up again, this time in happiness.

"Y-yes…Yes I will." Sakaki said, now staring into Joe's eyes.

Joe smiled. Inside, the butterflies went away, and were replaced with nothing but happiness. He took the ring out of the box, and placed it on Sakaki's left ring finger. It sparkled in the candlelight at the table. And they met with a loved kiss, the first one they had as an engaged couple.

Rei just smiled. "Well done…"

Shinobu's eyes watered up. "That's… so beautiful…"

Every person in the diner applauded.

Joe pulled back, and sat back down. Sakaki couldn't help but stare at her ring.

Joe's eyes watered up, and even a tear of happiness ran down his face.

Sakaki wiped away a tear from her face of happiness from her face as well.

…

Joe paid the bill (and yes, they all got that tip that he promised), and he and Sakaki left the diner.

Tomo and Laharl were standing on the boundaries of the diner.

"So, how did it go?" Tomo asked with a smile.

Too fast for Tomo to react, Joe put a hard knee into her stomach. As Tomo curled up, he removed his knee, and elbowed her in the back of the neck.

"I hate you so much right now…" Joe said. He went over and opened the door to the limo, let Sakaki in, and then got in himself. The limo then drove away.

"I think you overdid it a bit," Laharl said.

"You were…siding with me…before…what happened now?" Tomo asked, trying to catch her breath.

"Well, I guess it's because he so totally kicked your butt…" Laharl said, walking away.

Leaving Tomo behind to try to get herself up from the serious beating she had just received.

…

Joe and Sakaki went home, and spent the rest of the long romantic evening, smooching face with each other.

"So, when can I call you Tanaka, Sakaki-san?" Joe asked at one point.

Sakaki blushed slightly. "When we finally do get married…"

and the kissing continued.

…

Author's Notes:

Many thanks to Funakounasoul for helping me with a name for Sakaki.

All jokes said within this fic are all made for the soul purpose of laughter, and are not made to offend anyone. Please don't sue me!!

Next Chapter: Meeting Sakaki's parents


	48. Meeting Sakaki's Parents

Meeting Sakaki's Parents

…

The next day, Joe and Sakaki called up their own parents with the news. And both of their parents said the same thing:

"Oh, we would so like to meet them!"

Well, as you can probably guess, meeting Sakaki's parents was going to be easy. Meeting Joe's parents, however, was going to be much more difficult, seeing as how they were still in America. Not only would they have to go over to America, but also they would have to find a sitter for the Iriomote's.

After a few moments of thought, Joe jumped on the Internet, and started bidding on two tickets to America on Ebay. They would figure out the cat thing later.

…

Sakaki and Joe walked out of their house, and were immediately greeted by Kagura and Kaorin.

"Ah, Sakaki-san! Tomo told us about last night! I'm so happy for you!" Kaorin said.

"Thank you, Kaorin-san" Sakaki said.

"So…" Kagura said, blushing slightly but still edging on "what did you guys do when you came home?"

"No, we didn't do 'it', and I know Tomo asked you to ask that…" Joe said angrily, crossing his arms.

"Still mad at her, huh?" Kagura said, trying to hold back a laugh.

Joe's eye twitched.

Kaorin, Sakaki, and Kagura all giggled.

"So, marrying Sakaki, huh? Good cover" Kaorin said.

Now all three of the girls burst out laughing. Joe just stood there, blushing, but still angry.

Tomo, I will find a way to get you back for this, Joe thought.

"I thought I heard you were getting married!" They heard from around the corner, as Chiyo showed up.

"Yeah, Joe popped the question last night, but Tomo threw in something funny!" Kagura said.

"Really, what?" Chiyo asked.

"AHT! Don't even!" Joe yelled. "Um, Sakaki, let's go meet your parents…Kagura can tell Chiyo after we leave."

Joe and Sakaki walked down the street, and Joe heard Chiyo burst out laughing.

I…hate you…so damn much…Tomo, Joe thought angrily.

…

Sakaki walked in first to greet her parents. She then introduced Joe, who bowed.

Sakaki's mother (just for re-explanation) was a tall American woman (her and Sakaki were about the same height), with wavy black hair. She wore a blue long-sleeve shirt (which seemed kind of warm for summer) and a skirt that ran down to her ankles. Her face read someone who was always cheerful.

Sakaki's father, however, was a bit different. He was Japanese, but he was tall. He stood a good three cm (about 1.2 inches) above Joe. He wore a short-sleeve shirt, and shorts, due to the summer. He had short, black hair. And he seemed to be the strong, silent type.

Sakaki's father and mother sat on one side of the table. Joe and Sakaki sat on the other.

Sakaki's mother started: "Pleased to meet you, uh…"

Joe blushed, this time in embarrassment (remember his last name?) "You can just call me Joe"

"Pleased to meet you, Joe-san. I am Jessica, Tanaka's mother." Her voice was pleasant, and warming.

"Pleased to meet you." Joe responded.

"I am Daichi, Tanaka's father. Pleased to meet you." His voice was deep and tough.

"P-Pleased to meet you." Joe said, bowing his head. The deep voice intimidated him a little.

"So, when were you planning on having the marriage?" Jessica started.

"Well, we don't have any plans as of yet, we still need to meet my parents," Joe said.

"Oh, well, make sure you let us know, we would love to see our daughter get married." Jessica said. She seemed so happy.

Daichi kept staring (a deep, mean stare) at Joe, making him nervous.

"Oh, I'll make sure to uh…let you know when the official date is…" Joe said. His hands that were on his legs were beginning to shake. Daichi made him extremely uncomfortable with that stare.

A moment of silence.

"So, why did you decide to marry my daughter?" Daichi said, breaking the silence.

Sakaki now listened intently.

Joe began sweating slightly. "Well…I truly love her for who she is…and, uh…I really enjoy the time we spend together…and I would really like to spend the rest of my life with her."

Joe finished the speech, and let out a breath of relief. He thought it was a good speech, especially to give to a man who intimidated him. Sakaki also thought it was a good speech, and took Joe's slightly shaking hand, making him feel better.

Daichi leaned in, and put both arms on the table. Joe could see his arms were well built, which made him even more nervous.

Daichi's glare became cold, hard, and focused, like that of a killer about to pounce on his prey.

"I heard you…slept on her breasts."

Sakaki's and Joe's faces turned redder than red. Sakaki's let go of Joe's hand, and curled her arms around her chest. They both looked away in embarrasement.

"Daichi, please!" Jessica said (frowning!), turning toward her husband. "Don't bring that up here!"

"Jessica, I don't want my daughter marrying some guy because he likes her in bed." Daichi said, keeping his focus on Joe.

The 'likes her in bed' made the embarrassment in Joe's face instantly drain away. He could now feel the rage boiling. His eyes now became cold, hard, and focused, just like Daichi's, and they locked eyes. Joe's knuckles cracked.

"So, you are afraid of your daughter marrying a person who just wants her for the sex? Well, I can guarantee you, that's not what I'm marrying her for. Truth be told, sex is the very last thing on my mind right now, if it's on my mind at all. I guarantee you that that one incident was a pure accident. We went to bed the previous night, and we had our heads turned in totally opposite directions. I love your daughter for who she is, and the love she gives in return, that's all." Joe's voice had remained cool and calm during his entire speech.

Sakaki stared at Joe, moved by his speech.

Daichi and Joe did a staredown.

Daichi looked down at the table, and smiled. He even laughed a little bit. Joe dropped his guard at this.

"Otousan?" Sakaki asked. In all her years she had been at home, she rarely ever heard him laugh, unless he was in the presence of friends, or someone had just told him a really good joke.

Daichi looked up at Joe.

"That is the kind of man I was hoping you would marry." Daichi said to Sakaki. "All your life, I watched you. You were quiet, strong, and resilient. Those kinds of qualities can bring in some of the most perverted men in the world to take advantage of you. And you managed to find one guy in life that doesn't search for a woman for the pure sport of sex, but rather the love and support she gives him."

Jessica began smiling again. She knew now that her husband approved of this man.

Daichi stood up, and Jessica also stood up. They both bowed.

"We approve of your marriage," They both said in unison.

Joe and Sakaki smiled. They then both stood up, and bowed as well.

"Thank you very much," they both said (also in unison)

…

Leaving the house, with her parents waving good-bye, Joe stopped.

"Hey, Daichi-san, I was just wondering, who told you about the Sakaki…incident?" Joe yelled.

"Some person by the name of Takino-san" Daichi yelled back.

"Oh, that's nice," Joe said with a closed-eye smile. Deep in his mind, he was already planning his revenge.

And Joe and Sakaki continued back home.

…

Joe and Sakaki returned home.

"Well, that was both nerve-racking and relieving at the same time," Joe said.

"I just never expected my father to do something like that…" Sakaki said.

"Oh, yeah, the tickets to meet my parents!" Joe said.

He jumped on his computer (which he had purposefully left running), and hit 'refresh'.

It showed that he was still the highest bidder, with 5 seconds left to go.

"Alright, America, here we come!" Joe said. "3…2…1…" he hit 'refresh'

"You have been outbid," the computer read.

"WHAT?! WHO THE HELL OUTBID ME?!" Joe yelled in frustration.

…

"I am the type who is libel to snipe you with two seconds left to go, woah…" Tomo sung evilly.

…

Author's notes:

I had to put that last line in there. I just had to.

Considering it's my favorite Weird Al song, and it's dedicated to my own mother, who watches Ebay like a hawk everyday…

Next Chapter: Tomo's heartbreak


	49. Tomo's Heartbreak

Tomo's Heartbreak

Note: Could be rated 'M'. We've got another cuss word in here.

…

Saturday (June 19th)

…

Joe was walking with a determined angry look on his face. Not only had Tomo made him the brunt of every 'gay guy' joke the girls could think of, but he was also pretty sure she had been the one to outbid him (the user name read 'FujikoMine672', which the 672 part just happened to be Tomo's apartment address. Coincidence? I think not) He was going for payback.

But as he got closer, he could hear angry yelling. One sounded like Rita Repulsa, and the other he could definitely tell to be Tomo's.

He ducked out of sight, and moved up closer to see just what the fighting was about. Tomo and Laharl were arguing outside of the building.

"Why do you feel the need to do it?!" Tomo yelled.

"It's not something I can control!! All men do it!!!" Laharl yelled.

"Joe doesn't do it!!! Arata doesn't do it!!!!" Tomo yelled.

"They're a bunch of trained wusses!!" Laharl yelled. Joe's fists clenched up at this, but he continued to just listen.

"And are you saying that respecting women makes you a wuss?!!!" Tomo yelled.

"Maybe I am, yeah!!!" Laharl yelled.

"That's it!!! I hate you!! Get out of my sight!!!!" Tomo yelled.

"Hah!! You crying?!!! Hahahahahaha!!! I've won this argument, and there's nothing you can do about it!!!" Laharl said, walking off.

"STUPID COSPLAYER!!!" Tomo yelled.

"YOU'RE A FLAT BOARD WHO'S NEVER GOING TO GET A LOVER, EVER!!!!" Laharl yelled back and continued to walk.

Joe gasped. That was lower than low. Even though he made fun of Tomo's flatness at one point, it was only to calm Sakaki down. And the one thing he would never do was tell Tomo she was going to remain loveless for the rest of her life.

Laharl walked down the sidewalk, with Tomo back at the entrance of the apartment building, tears running down her cheeks, teeth gritted and fists clenched. She was about ready to charge this guy.

Joe walked out from the bushes right in front of Laharl.

Laharl and Joe locked eyes.

"Hmph!" was all Laharl said, before he tried walking past Joe.

As he crossed in front of Joe, Laharl stopped.

Joe had put one swift knee into his stomach.

Laharl curled up and fell to the ground, and Joe took one step back.

"You…trained…bastard" Laharl said, stomach still in pain.

Joe then gave him a hard kick to the 'child makers'

Laharl's eyes went wide, as he curled up on the sidewalk, unable to breathe.

"Dude, you have no right to insult anybody right now. You're lower than low."Joe said, as he walked past the completely stunned Laharl.

He walked up to Tomo, who still had tears running down her face.

"Tomo…" Joe said. Tomo ran off, tears still streaming down her face.

Joe sighed. Any thoughts of revenge against Tomo were now gone. He turned around to instead give it to the guy who deserved it.

Laharl, still wide-eyed, finally got hold of his breath. But he never saw the danger come walking up behind him, and knocked him out.

…

Tomo didn't know why, at the time, she felt the need to run over to that particular house. All she knew was that particular house just felt like the right place to run to.

Tomo pounded on the door, tears still running down her face. "YOMI!! YOMI!!!"

Yomi opened the door. She seemed slightly depressed today.

"What do you want, Tomo?" Yomi asked in a depressed mood.

"THERE!! I BROKE UP WITH MY BOYFRIEND!! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!! WE HAD A HUGE FIGHT THIS MORNING, AND HE CALLED ME A BOARD!!!! SO GO AHEAD, LAUGH AT ME!!!! LAUGH AT MY PAIN, LIKE HAVE DONE TO YOU ALL THESE YEARS!!!!" Tomo yelled right at Yomi, tears still streaming down her face.

Yomi instead looked shocked. No one had ever hurt Tomo that bad before…

Tomo fell to her knees, and began to cry.

Yomi bent down, and pulled Tomo into a hug. Tomo continued to cry, this time into Yomi's shoulder.

"Just…don't blow your nose into my shirt this time…" Yomi said jokingly (and with a smile).

Tomo smiled at this. "I'll…try not to…" Tomo put her face into Yomi's shoulder again, this time trying to re-gather her complexion.

"Would you feel better staying here?" Yomi asked.

Tomo pulled her face out of Yomi's shoulder, but still kept in the hug.

"I…would like that…" Tomo said. "but…even after all these years…I've been mean to you… you still…are being nice…why?"

"It's called maturing, Tomo" Yomi said. "You know, if you show a bit more maturity yourself, you may just get another boyfriend, a nicer one."

Tomo remained silent. At this point, she really didn't want to talk about it.

Yomi just smiled and sighed. "Tomo…"

"Yeah?" Tomo asked.

"Never mind." Yomi said.

"Yomi…Thanks for cheering me up…" Tomo said heartfully.

"No problem. That's what friends are for" Yomi said, as she pulled out of the hug. "Let me go get you a tissue."

Yomi instead got a box of tissues, because she knew Tomo would probably need most of them.

…

A few hours later

…

"So, that's how we broke up…and, you know, I think Joe just might do something evil to him…" Tomo said.

"Well, what would you do if you were in Joe's position?" Yomi asked. A very good question, considering both Joe and Tomo had equally evil torture methods.

"Well, I would either completely strip him naked and put him in a hot tub filled with hot sweaty men" Tomo said (which caused Yomi to shiver) "or…"

…

Laharl woke up. He rubbed the back of his neck, which he could feel had been hit hard.

"Where the heck am I?"

"You…you…you are the evil spawn of Satan, and must be sent back to hell!!" a voice said.

Laharl looked up, and realized he was right in the middle of an anti-cosplayer meeting.

"Oh, sh-" Laharl was jumped upon, and bludgeoned.

…

"Wow, that would be evil," Yomi said.

"You have no idea," Tomo said. "Listen, Yomi, I want you to have this." Tomo handed Yomi one of her tickets to America from her back pocket.

"But, Tomo…I can't take this." Yomi said, looking at the ticket.

"Yes, you can. Laharl will NOT be coming with us to America, and I desperately want you to come. Please, Yomi?" Tomo had a look in her eye that said she was begging for it.

Yomi looked at Tomo, looked back at the ticket, and then smiled.

"OK, I'll go"

Tomo smiled back. "Thanks, Yomi, you really are a good friend. And I promise to be somewhat of a better one."

And with that, Tomo left Yomi's house.

What's this feeling deep down…like I…no, no, I'm just thinking it. I'm lost in the moment, Tomo thought to herself, and she continued her walk back to her apartment.

…

Meanwhile, in a discrete location

…

A girl sat at a computer, reading something.

"I guess it's almost time…" she said, as she turned to back to look at a little girl, sleeping at the moment.

…

Author's notes:

Well, with Tomo breaking up with Laharl, that makes now two of the Azu-girls with bad luck for boyfriends…

Joe: Geez, Arata, looks like you and I are the only Azu-guys left.

Arata: (_staring off into space_) Until the aliens abduct you…then I'll be the only one left…

Joe: --o

Next Chapter: On to America!!


	50. Off to America!

Off to America!!!

Guest appearances: Some of the cast from Love Hina, Pani Poni Dash, and even one from Happy Lesson!

…

June 21st

…

Joe and Sakaki sat on the plane headed for America. Joe was holding Sakaki's hand.

"I'm…so glad to finally be going to America…" Sakaki said.

"I'm glad you can come with me, Sakaki," Joe said, smiling.

"Attention, everyone," said a familiar voice over the intercom.

"YUKARI-SENSEI!!" Both Joe and Sakaki screamed, now wearing shocked expressions on their faces.

"This is your captain speaking. If you feel any turbulence, we're just gonna go as fast as we can over it. Hope you enjoy your flight! Now, let's step on the gas!!! YEAH!!!!"

The plane took off fast…but it couldn't rise fast enough to get over those mountains right in front of the runway, and…

CRASH!!!

…

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" Joe sat straight up.

Sakaki also sat straight up in the futon after hearing Joe scream.

"What's wrong, Joe?" Sakaki asked.

Joe immediately latched on to Sakaki in a hug.

"It was awful…I had a horrible dream that Yukari was piloting our airplane…" Joe gasped, still seeing the images.

Sakaki began rubbing Joe's back, trying to calm him down.

Their alarms went off. It was now 7:30 in the morning, and time for them to get ready.

…

8:00am

…

Everything was perfectly set, as Joe and Sakaki jumped into the taxi that had come to pick them up.

Not only had Joe gotten tickets to America from another website, but Sakaki's aunt agreed to watch the Iriomotes while they were gone (turns out the aunt actually worked in Okinawa, right on Iriomote island, and knew just precisely how to handle the cats)

So, they were headed off, to finally meet Joe's parents.

"So, tell me, what are your parents like?" Sakaki asked.

"Well…" Joe started. "My parents are nice, understanding parents, but they're not the one's I'm concerned with…"

"Hm?" Sakaki asked.

"Well, it's actually one of my brothers I'm concerned with," Joe said. "See, the other two are accepting of the life path I've chosen, but the one is one of those people who see only his way as being right, and if you don't follow it, you're wrong…and stuff like that…"

"Oh…" Sakaki said, only partially understanding.

"Which basically boils down to he never liked me for going off to Japan, and the fact that I'm marrying a Japanese woman really isn't going to make him any happier" Joe explained.

Now Sakaki understood why Joe seemed nervous about going back home. It wasn't his parents that scared him, it was his brother.

"But…" Sakaki said. "You made these life choices, and there's nothing he can say or do that will change your mind on it, right?"

"Yeah, but I just want to warn you, he may offend you, just because he doesn't like anybody but Americans…" Joe said, staring straight into Sakaki's eyes.

Sakaki nodded. She knew now not to let anything his brother say about her offend her.

Joe smiled slightly. "Thanks, Sakaki"

And they shared a very heartwarming kiss.

…

8:15am

…

Joe and Sakaki reached the airport, and retrieved all of their belongings from the back of the cab.

"OK, so, we need to get on flight 90210 to America, but we are a bit early, since it won't depart for another hour and forty five minutes…" Joe said as they walked in.

He stopped. Joe and Sakaki stared at the scene before them.

There stood Tomo, Yomi, Kagura, Kaorin, Nyamo, Saotome, Yukari, Osaka, Arata, and Chiyo, all wearing the biggest grins on their faces.

"Thought you could go to America without us, didcha?" Tomo said.

"No way we're letting you guys go alone…" Kagura said.

"We want to make sure that you don't do anything dirty with Sakaki-san…" Kaorin said.

"And we all wanted to see what America is really like…" Nyamo said.

"So, let's all get going!" Tomo shouted, pump-fisting into the air.

"YEAH!!" The people in front of Joe and Sakaki all pump-fisted into the air as well, and walked to get onto the flight.

"But…I…she…they…ugh…" Joe's head sank.

I'm sorry, America, but it looks like hell is coming with me, Joe thought.

…

Amazingly, there were no delays with their flight. They all boarded normally.

The plane had two seats located by the windows on both sides; going 10 rows back (so it was a very small plane) and it had 4 seats located in the center, also going 10 rows back. Down the walkways were the bathrooms, and beyond that was the flight attendant's area. In front of the plane were the exit doors, and beyond those was the captain's cabinet.

As if by sheer dumb luck, everybody got seats on the right side of the plane. Kaorin and Kagura sat in one row, Joe and Sakaki sat in another, Tomo and Yomi sat in another row, and, as if someone had pulled a prank, Saotome and Yukari were in the next row, followed by Nyamo and Chiyo. Osaka and Arata were in the second row from the back.

A familiar man stepped onto the plane, and Kaorin looked like she was about ready to throw up.

"Ah, Kaorin, haven't seen you in a while…" Kimura said, as he sat down in the center seats, one seat over from Kaorin.

"K-Kagura? Can we sw-switch seats?" Kaorin asked, staring at Kimura, expecting him to jump her.

"Absolutely," Kagura said determinedly. Her and Kaorin quickly switched seats. Kagura was ready for a fight if Kimura wanted it.

Kaorin whined. "I'm beginning to regret doing this…"

"Don't worry about it," Kagura said, looking over and holding Kaorin's hand. She whispered into Kaorin's ear "if he does anything, I'll bash him for you"

"Thanks, Kagura," Kaorin said. She would have given Kagura a kiss, but she couldn't. Not with Kimura watching, anyway.

Kimura's wife also got on, and sat right down next to her husband. Another woman sat down next to Kimura's wife. The thing that Kagura noticed was how similar the two seemed.

"Hi, there, what's your name?" Kimura's wife asked.

"My name is Mutsumi Otohime. Pleased to meet you." The woman said.

"So, where are you headed?" Kimura's wife asked.

"Oh, I have a bunch of friends all headed with me to America, because two people just got married, and they are headed off to their honeymoon, but we want to make sure nothing goes on between them. I didn't quite understand what they meant thought, I mean, I think normal talk between them is OK, right?" Mitsumi said.

"Oh, absolutely." Kimura's wife responded.

An all-too-familiar face walked by Joe in the walkway, wearing what appeared to be civilian clothes. As soon as she passed him, she stopped.

"Hello there, kendo girl," Joe said, looking up at her with a smile.

Motoko turned her head to again see the man who had beaten her down at the beach.

Sakaki looked up in surprise.

"So, what would a man like you being doing on a plane like this?" Motoko asked (in her usual serious tone), as she walked down a bit further, and sat down two rows back (in the center seats)

Joe showed Motoko his ring, which he had picked up two days after marrying Sakaki.

"I'm getting married, and my fiancé and I are headed off to America to meet my parents. How about you?" Joe asked.

"You never saw me. My two friends are already married, but they are headed off on their honeymoon. I'm here to make sure nothing perverted happens." Motoko said.

"I thought that was my job…" Another girl was standing in the walkway. She looked like Motoko, but her hair was cut short, and had two bangs in the front. Her face read cold and heartless.

"Kanako…" Motoko said, becoming even more focused (if that was possible).

"So, not interested in what my brother and Naru do, huh?" Kanako said, staring down at Motoko.

"Not in the slightest bit. I'm here for training purposes only." Motoko said without missing a beat.

Kanako looked over.

"Hey, look, they're kissing already…" Kanako said in that monotonous tone of hers.

"You can't fool me; they haven't even gotten on the plane yet." Motoko said.

"Checkmate." Kanako said, turning back towards Motoko

"Damn…" Motoko said, still maintaining focus on Kanako.

"Um, girls, I know that you two have some sort of rivalry here, but please, keep it down until the plane lands…" Joe said.

Kanako gave one more look at Motoko before taking a seat.

Then Naru Narusegawa (now Naru Urashima) and Keitaro Urashima walked on the plane. They seemed far too involved with each other to even notice Mitsumi (who was still talking to Kimura's wife). Motoko and Kanako, on the other hand, had taken note, and had placed themselves in the back.

The doors closed up, indicating that everyone was on the plane.

As the plane took off, Joe made sure that Yukari was still behind him, and not in the pilot's seat.

…

While the plane is in the air

…

Joe got up to go to the bathroom. As he did, he noticed Osaka staring off into space, but two people sitting behind her were creeping him out a little bit.

"Osaka-san…" Joe said "Look behind you."

Osaka looked behind her, and started shaking.

"The clones….the clones are attacking…" Osaka said.

"Kasuga disguise, Version 1.5" the one closest to the wall said.

A small bell chimed for the other one.

Joe grabbed the two wigs off of their heads (that's all they had) to reveal Ichijo and another girl with short white hair, and other weird 'out-there' stare.

"You guys know she's afraid of clones, why'd you do that?" Joe asked.

(Bell-chime) "Because we thought it would be interesting," Ichijo said.

"So, who's your friend?" Joe asked.

"This is Kisaragi Ninomai, she's my alien friend…" Ichijo said.

"Yes, I am an alien…" Kisaragi said, in a very monotonous tone.

Joe looked back up at Osaka's seat. She was pure white.

"Clones on the plane…aliens on the plane…" was all she could chant as she continued to stare at them.

"At least there aren't snakes on the plane" Joe cracked.

The entire plane went silent.

"Terrible joke," Ichijo said.

"Definitely a bad one," Kisaragi said.

Joe sighed, and decided to head to the bathroom.

…

Saotome looked over at the person next to him, and was surprised.

"Miyamoto-san? What are you doing headed to America?" Saotome asked.

"We're headed over to visit my brother…" Miyamoto said. She sounded irritated. "He ended up staying over here when I went back to Japan."

"Oh, well, that's nice!" Saotome said in his usual happy way.

My god, I love him! Always so cheerful, Nyamo thought with a smile.

"Well, it would be…" Miyamoto said, "If I didn't have someone coming with me!"

"MAHO!! I get to meet Becky's brother!! Happy Time!!" Himeko shrieked next to Rebecca.

"Maho? What in the world is 'Maho'?" Tomo asked.

"Maho? I don't really know. It's just something she says." Rebecca said.

"Maho? Maho Maho Maho Maho…" Tomo kept repeating to herself.

"MAHO!! My catchphrase has caught on to someone else!!" Himeko shrieked.

"Believe it!" Tomo said with a smile.

Yomi put Tomo in a choking headlock.

"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT THAT STUPID NARUTO CRAP?!!!" Yomi screamed.

…

Joe finally returned from the bathroom and sat down next to Sakaki.

"Attention, passengers. This is your captain speaking. We will soon be landing. Please fasten your seatbelts and put your trays in their upright position. Thank you, and we hope you enjoyed your flight." The captain announced on the overhead.

…

Author's notes:

So, yeah, I didn't really need to put this chapter in here, but I thought it would be boring to just put: "the plane took off, and then landed in America"

Oh, and sorry the Azu-girls lost the spotlight, but I'm not going to have a lot of guest appearances in the next chapters, so I need to get as many in this one as possible.

Next Chapter: Chiyo leaves, Yomi's Love


	51. Chiyo Leaves, Yomi's fan

Chiyo leaves, Yomi's Fan

Note: **Bold** is English, Plain is translated from Japanese

…

Joe, Arata, and all of the Azu-girls got off the plane and found their luggage. (They had landed in an airport in Chicago)

Joe and Chiyo walked on as the Azu-girls stared out the window at America's sky.

"Well, Chiyo-chan, welcome back to America." Joe said.

"Excuse me…" a little girl said. "It seems I have finally found you…Chiyo Mihama."

…

A few moments earlier.

…

Motoko went to get her suitcase. Not being able to bring her katana was making her a little nervous.

She felt a disturbance, and instead karate chopped at what she felt.

Another woman dressed in a Japanese priest dress blocked her karate chop.

"Good evening, Motoko Ayoma of God's Cry School," the woman said.

"Hello, Yayoi Sanzenin of Fortune Prediction School." Motoko said. She smiled "Heard you had a 'spirit of misfortune' incident."

"I heard you were getting beaten by a man." Yayoi said in retort.

"You two are fighting like a bunch of little children. Geez," That same little girl said behind them. The little girl had light purple hair (that ran down to the floor, due to her size), and she was wearing an oversized yukata.

The little girl walked on, as Motoko and Yayoi stared in shock.

"What is she doing here?" Motoko asked.

"I don't know," Yayoi said. "I thought she was dead…"

"So did I…" Motoko said nervously.

…

Back to the present

…

"Wait, how do you know Chiyo?" Joe asked.

"This matter is unimportant. What is is that Chiyo must accompany me for training." the little girl said.

"But…I can't. My friends are here in America, and I must show them around!" Chiyo said.

"Chiyo, what I am going to show you is something that you will thank me for later." the little girl said.

"Look, she already said no, so just leave it alone." Joe said, as he began leading Chiyo away.

The little girl watched Joe and Chiyo walk away. She knew how to get them later.

…

Joe and Chiyo joined up with the rest of the group, and they began walking out before Kaorin grabbed her stomach (or what appeared to be her stomach, maybe a little lower)

"Man, I gotta go…!" Kaorin whined. She hadn't wanted to go on the plane with Kimura there.

"OK, let's go to the bathroom then…but I've got to warn you, you're in for a big surprise." Chiyo warned.

Kaorin, Kagura, and Chiyo all went into the bathroom, while everybody else waited outside.

After a minute, Kaorin and Kagura came back out, looking disgusted.

"It's…gross in there!! That bathroom looks like it hasn't been cleaned in weeks!" Kaorin whined.

"Welcome to America. Here, we don't care much about the condition of our bathrooms." Joe said monotonously.

"Ewwww" Kagura said.

"Um…where's Chiyo?" Joe asked worriedly.

…

Chiyo stood terrified in a stall. She was by the toilet, and standing in front of her was that same little girl that had hassled before. The little girl shut the door to the stall.

"Chiyo Mihama…you are trapped in a child's body…I wish to release you…" and with that, the little girl made a transformation right before her, changing from an 11-year old to a 30-year old woman.

Chiyo remained a stunned speechless.

"Chiyo-chan, where are you?" She heard Kagura ask. She and Kaorin had come back in looking for Chiyo.

The woman jumped up, and positioned herself between the door and wall so her feet could no longer be seen by looking underneath the stall walls.

"Um…I'm in here, just having a bit of trouble!" Chiyo yelled out to Kagura and Kaorin.

"Well, please hurry up! It's dirty in here, and I want to go!" Kaorin said, and they both left the bathroom.

The woman jumped back down.

"Also…if you prefer the much more censored and private version…" the woman started.

A poof of smoke covered her, and with that, she was back to her child form.

"I shall help you transform between your adult and child form…but for that, you must come train with me." The girl said.

"But…what about my friends? ...And I don't think Joe is going to take it well…" Chiyo said.

"You will get to see your friends again. As for the guy, I'll take care of him…" the girl said. She opened the door to the stall. As she walked out, she said, "Now you can finish your business"

…

Chiyo walked out of the bathroom.

"Oh, Chiyo-chan, about time, we were beginning to…" Joe started. Then the little girl with purple hair walked out behind Chiyo.

Joe snapped.

"You little…!" he charged the little girl and attempted to smash her head between his knee and the wall.

His knee hit the wall, and hurt slightly.

Joe had no idea how it happened. The little girl was standing on his leg that he had put into the wall, and had a katana against his neck.

Where did that sword come from? Joe wondered.

"Do not worry, I do not wish to harm her." the little girl said. "I just wish to show her a special technique."

"Technique?" Tomo asked.

The little girl put the katana back into the holder in her hand, and then put the entire thing back into her oversized yukata.

"I only wish for the guy to see this. He is the one who wishes to know why I continue to follow his friend around," the little girl said.

The little girl led Joe into a maintenance closet.

…

A few minutes in the maintenance closet later

…

'Poof!' The girl changed back into her child form.

"W..How…?" Joe's mind was a bit of a jumble.

"Not to worry, you only need to know that it will only be one week. And don't worry, through meditation, I'll know where you're staying." and the girl began walking out.

"Wait, what's your name?" Joe asked. His mind un-jumbled just enough to ask this question.

"Maya Natsume…I used to go to Todai, and was captain of a fighting club. I had all of my ki drained away from me, but…I found the secret of the sword that sealed my ki away, and instead became the strongest fighter in the world."

Maya opened the door, and began walking out.

"I hope your marriage goes well," Maya said, before leaving the closet.

Chiyo walked away with Maya without leaving any explanation with the girls.

Joe came walking out.

"So, what happened there?" Sakaki asked.

"That girl is going to show Chiyo a special technique, but she's going to be gone the first week," Joe said, obviously worried. "But don't worry, she'll be back after the week is up," but is sounded like he said this last part to more cheer himself up.

…

The group, now minus Chiyo walked outside the airport. Joe saw something across the street, and instantly, a smile came across his face. His worries were now gone.

"Joe?" Sakaki asked.

"Look over there." Joe said.

The group looked across the street to see a place called "Maya Natsume's School of Fighting".

"So? What's up with that place?" Tomo asked.

"Maya Natsume was the name of that girl." Joe breathed a sigh of relief. Chiyo was going to be trained under someone who really knew what they were doing. It felt as if he no longer had to worry about Chiyo's well being.

"**Hey, Joe**!" Somebody yelled.

A skinny guy about 5' 10" with very short brown hair came running up to the group.

"**Hey, Shaun**!" Joe said.

He and Shaun did something of a handshake, but instead pulled each other in and gave a half-hug.

"**So, how've you been**?" Joe asked as he pulled back.

"**Not bad**," Shaun said. "**How about you**?"

"**I'm getting married**," Joe said, showing Shaun his marriage ring.

"**Really? To whom**?" Shaun asked.

Joe pulled Sakaki in closer. Sakaki smiled brightly.

"**Woah**…." Shaun responded. "**Like the beauty and the geek**"

"**Thanks**…**I think**" Joe said, smiling.

Shaun then noticed Yomi standing behind Joe.

"**She's…she's**…." Shaun replied in almost a stunned tone.

Joe looked behind him to see whom Shaun was talking about.

"**Oh, her name is Yomi**." Joe said, turning back to Shaun.

"**Not just Yomi!!! Her name is Koyomi Mizuhara!! She's a famous dietitian!! I've read all of her books, and lost over 50 lbs thanks to her tips!!!**" Shaun yelled, making Joe back up slightly.

"Woah. That was quick. The people here have more weight problems than I thought," Tomo said.

Yomi was stunned. She had never gotten that sort of reaction from people in Japan, nor did she ever hear about some guy losing weight on her tips.

Shaun ran right up to Yomi. He then turned to Joe.

"**How do ask for an autograph in Japanese**?" Shaun asked.

"**shomei suru kudosai, Yomi-san**?" Joe asked Yomi.

Shaun pulled out a book, and held it up.

"**Um, sure…**" Yomi said. She took the book, and wrote her name in it.

"**Yes!! I got Koyomi Mizuhara's signature!! I'm gonna get this laminated!!**" Shaun said, as he put the book back into his back pocket.

"**OK, **" Shaun said, settling down. "**Our vehicles are down that way**." He pointed in a direction, and they all started heading that way.

…

Around the corner, someone watched this happen, and then moved behind the corner so as not to be seen when he talked into his cell phone.

The person happened to be a cos-player, dressed as a Prinny.

"OK, it looks like they are going to go to their vehicle to head out to the American house they rented, dood." The Prinny said into his cell phone.

"Excellent, Keep me posted," Laharl said. "Oh, and Prinny?"

"Yeah, dood?"

"I'm looking at GPS satellite pictures, and I notice a whole bunch of other prinnies behind you. You want to explain that to me?!" Laharl yelled.

The Prinny looked behind him to see about 10,000 other Prinny cos-players.

"Oh, they're my network. They allow me to watch online video's, send pictures, and a whole bunch of other stuff on my cell phone, dood." The Prinny responded.

"STOP WATCHING ONLINE VIDEO'S, AND GET TO WORK!!" Laharl yelled into his cell phone.

"Geez, sorry, dood," The prinny said into his cell phone, as he hung up.

…

Prinny Wireless

It's the network, dood.

…

Author's Notes: 'shomei suru kudosai' means 'autograph, please' in Japanese (it literally means 'put signature on, please')

And finally, that whole prinny thing was a rip on Verizon commercials. My buddy actually gave me that idea, since he noticed Prinnies are often together and in groups.

Next Chapter: Changes and differences


	52. Changes and Differences

Changes and Differences

Note: **Bold** is English, Plain is translated from Japanese

…

Shaun had rented two vans for Joe and his friends, since Joe had e-mailed Shaun to let them know they were coming. Shaun had also made sure to rent out a house for the month they would be staying, as well as giving Joe the address, so Joe could MapQuest it.

"**So, what happened to Chiyo? I was looking forward to seeing her**," Shaun said.

"**Chiyo is off training, but she'll be back in a week,**" Joe said.

"**So, Shaun, how do you know Joe?**" Sakaki said, in almost perfect English.

"**I met him when I went to MIT at 13**" Shaun said.

"**13?!"** Sakaki said in surprise.

"**Sure, Sakaki, MIT attracts a lot of child geniuses from all around the world,**" Shaun said with a laugh.

"**How old are you now?**" Yukari asked.

"**17"** Shaun said.

The girls just stared in shock. How Joe had managed to meet with so many geniuses was beyond them.

"Bet you feel pretty stupid now, huh, Nyamo?" Yukari said with a big grin.

"Shut up," Nyamo said grouchily.

The group then reached the vehicles. Shaun (driving), Yomi(passenger seat), Tomo, Yukari, Nyamo, and Saotome all got into one van. Joe (driving), Sakaki (passenger seat) Osaka, Arata, Kagura, and Kaorin all got into the second van.

"Oh, by the way, I can speak Japanese," Shaun said suddenly.

"Joe never even knew," Tomo said with a grin.

"Wait, so, what was the point of fooling him like that?" Yomi asked.

"Oh, just roll your windows down, and wait," Shaun said with a very evil smile.

…

Meanwhile, everybody else rolled the windows down in Joe's vehicle.

"Man, I haven't been driving in a vehicle in a while," Joe said, as he started up the vehicle.

"…**I wanna take you to a gay bar…"**

Joe immediately shut off the CD Player, looking peeved. All of the girls in Joe's van had to slap their hands over their mouths to keep from bursting out laughing. Even Osaka and Arata, with their weird thoughts, couldn't help but snicker at this.

Joe pulled out his cell phone.

…

Everybody in the other vehicle was already laughing. They all had already been told about the evil thing Tomo did to Joe when he proposed, and they had all heard the radio kick up from Joe's van.

Shaun picked up his cell phone when it rang.

"Shaun?" Joe said.

"Yeah?"

"You knew how to speak Japanese already, didn't you?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, I did." Shaun said.

"And you spoke to Tomo, didn't you?" Joe said, sounded irritated.

"Yeah, I did." Shaun had to hold back to keep from laughing.

"I hate you" Joe said, and he hung up.

Shaun burst out laughing.

…

Joe turned the radio on, just as the news kicked on.

"…and in her speech, President Oprah vowed to eliminate the national debt, as well as give schools all the money they would need…"

Joe shut off the radio, and called Shaun back.

"Shaun, Oprah is our president now?!" Joe said in disbelief.

"Well, yeah," Shaun said like it was common knowledge. "She promised everybody who voted for her a car. That was something no other politician could ever do."

"Keep a promise?" Joe asked.

"Uh-huh," Shaun said with a smile.

"Um…Shaun…I know this is kind of a sensitive subject, but… what about the Iraqi war?" Joe asked.

"Oh, it was awesome! As soon as Oprah went into office, she immediately pulled out all of the soldiers, and sent over a bunch of food, supplies, and stuff like that. The Iraqi insurgents stopped bombing everything, and Iraq itself is now sharing worldwide peace." Shaun said.

"Wow, that's awesome!" Joe said with a smile.

Joe heard not only the stomach's growl from his van, but the stomachs from Shaun's van growl as well.

"Shaun, I think we need to stop somewhere to eat…" Joe said with a sweat-drop.

"Yeah, I think we do too…" Shaun said from the other vehicle.

"Oh, Shaun, there's something I haven't done in almost a year!" Joe said. "Drive-thru windows!"

"You mean they don't have drive-thru windows in Japan?" Shaun asked.

"No, they don't!!" Joe said, "Where's the nearest McDonalds?"

"About ten blocks up from here," Shaun said.

"Great! Let's go there before we get going!" Joe said, and he hung up the phone.

"A drive-thru window?" Osaka asked. "Does that mean that people drive through it?"

"No, Osaka, it means we drive up to the window to pick up our food, rather than sitting down to eat it." Joe said.

"Well then wouldn't it be called a drive-up window?" Arata asked.

"Well, they do technically call it drive-up…" Joe said.

"Oh…" They both said.

Everybody in the vehicle sweat-dropped.

…

All of the girls, Arata, and Saotome found drive-thru windows to be…well…a little weird, considering they always sat down for their meal, and never had to be somewhere.

What they also found to be weird is how everybody drove on the right side of the road.

…

Along the way, both vehicles got stuck in traffic. Total traffic jam, nothing's moving.

But Joe noticed something along the side of the road.

He got out and went over to the roadside stand.

It was a cookie stand. But the people behind the cookie stand were soldiers.

"**Um…hi there,**" Joe said, feeling a little awkward. "**Why are you guys selling cookies?**"

"**Because the schools are getting all the money they need, we need to have bake sales to buy bombers now. Damn Oprah,**" the soldier said.

Joe bought one chocolate chip cookie, and went back to the vehicle.

He then burst out laughing.

"Oh my god, the bumper stickers are right!" was all he could manage to get out.

…

Finally, upon reaching the house (which was on the Wisconsin / Illinois border), everybody got out, and started unpacking. The house was big enough so that everybody could have their own rooms.

So there would be a few extra rooms (with Sakaki and Joe sleeping together, as well as Kagura and Kaorin)

They were close to being completely unpacked, but Shaun had to do one more evil thing to Joe.

"Hey, Joe, when you passed us out on the road, I think I heard your vehicle make a noise…" Shaun said.

"Really?" Joe said, seriously concerned.

"Yeah, sounded something like 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'm gay'"

Tomo burst out laughing. She fell to the ground, and began pounding her fist on the ground.

Joe's eye twitched, as he began walking into the house with more luggage.

"Oh, and when you sat at the drive-thru window, I'm pretty sure it idled like "Homohomohomohomohomohomohomohomo"

Tomo had tears running down her face she was laughing so hard. She seriously couldn't breathe.

"I hate you so much, Shaun," Joe said.

Shaun just smiled evilly.

…

Author's notes: Yeah, I know that the Iraqi war is a very sensitive subject for a lot of people, but I really felt like I needed to put a happy smile on this sort of thing.

Also, the whole thing with Joe and Shaun at the end, as well as putting Oprah into office: full credit for those jokes goes to Jeff Dunham, and his new DVD 'Spark of Insanity'. He is a hilarious ventriloquist, and if you haven't seen him yet, you don't know what you're missing.

Next Chapter: True Love


	53. True Love

True Love

Notes:** Bold**, English. Plain, Japanese

Note: This chapter is rated 'M' for…stuff

…

Next Day

…

Tomo walked outside.

"So…." Tomo started "We're staying in this big house in the state of Ill-ee-noy-ss"

"It's pronounced Illinois, Tomo-chan," Joe said, walking out with Sakaki. "Ill-eh-noy"

"Whatever," Tomo said, waving her hand.

Yomi also came out of the house.

Shaun came walking out behind her.

"Yomi…I was wondering… would you like to go out somewhere for lunch?" Shaun asked.

"Sure…" Yomi said with a smile. She and Shaun walked off to one van.

"OK, Sakaki and I are going to meet my parents. Please, I beg of you, Tomo, don't do anything stupid." Joe said.

"Oh, c'mon, you know me!" Tomo said with one of those closed-eyed smiles.

"That's what I'm afraid of…" Joe said with a sweat drop, and he and Sakaki got into the vehicle and drove away.

Tomo sighed.

"I wonder what I could do for fun…" Tomo said to herself.

"Oh, yeah!! Yukari brought her 360 with Halo 3!! I'll just go steal it out of her room!" Tomo said, and ran into the house.

…

Kagura went over to the door, creaked it open just a crack, and watched Joe and Sakaki leave, as well as Yomi and Shaun. Tomo came running back into the house, but she only went to grab Yukari's 360, and take it to her room.

She's gonna get it later, Kagura thought.

Kagura then closed the door, and locked it. Kaorin softly hugged her from behind.

"Are they all gone?" Kaorin asked.

"Sakaki, Joe, Yomi, and Shaun are gone. Tomo's looking to play some Halo 3, and Yukari, Nyamo, and Saotome are all asleep." Kagura said. "Which means, we have a few minutes to ourselves…"

Kagura kissed Kaorin. As a mad furry of kissing began, Kaorin let go of Kagura in the hug, and they both eventually ended up back on the bed.

Kaorin ended up with her back on the bed, with Kagura on her hands and knees over her.

"Uh…K-Kagura… I feel… Kind of weird about this…" Kaorin said, blushing slightly.

"I do too…but…I really love you, Kaorin…" Kagura said. "And…just trust that I'll never leave your side…"

"But…what if…it's not what Nyamo says it is?" Kaorin asked.

"Well, I guess we just have to find out ourselves…" Kagura said

Kaorin smiled. It's what she liked about Kagura. Kagura really loved her, enough to make all her fears just disappear.

"I love you…Kagura…" Kaorin said, blushing and staring into Kagura's eyes.

"I love you, too…Kaorin…." Kagura said, staring back with an equally happy smile.

The both of them began kissing each other again. And things began to heat up between the two of them, as clothes began coming off…

…

Yukari lay sprawled out on her futon she had brought from Japan, snoring loudly. She opened her eyes slightly, and noticed her 360 was gone.

Her eyes shot awake. She already knew who would do such a thing.

"Takinoooooo!" Yukari yelled angrily.

…

Nyamo and Saotome lay next to each other awake in the futon, fully enjoying each other's company. Both of them heard banging come from Tomo's room.

Nyamo sighed "Sounds like Tomo-chan took Yukari's 360…"

"You'd think she'd be smart enough not to do something like that…" Saotome said.

"You expect too much of Tomo-chan," Nyamo said.

…

The banging stopped, as a very peeved off Yukari walked out of Tomo's room, toting her 360.

"The Covenant are mine to kill, dammit!!" Yukari yelled angrily.

Yukari stopped, and the house went quiet.

The four downstairs heard two girl squeals from upstairs.

Nyamo and Saotome came running out of their bedroom. Tomo came running out of her room as well.

"Did you guys…?" Nyamo asked, looking seriously worried.

"We heard it, but it came from upstairs…" Tomo said.

"Well, let's see…" Saotome said, counting people on his fingers "Chiyo's training, Yomi and Shaun are out to lunch, Sakaki and Joe are out seeing his parents, Nyamo, myself, Yukari, and Tomo are all here, which means all that's left is…"

It took a minute before the four realized who was missing.

"KAORIN AND KAGURA!!" They all screamed, and they ran upstairs to the room Kagura and Kaorin were sharing.

Except the door was locked, so they couldn't get in.

"Hold up, I'll handle this!" Tomo said. She took a few steps back, and attempted to kick in the door.

…

Kagura and Kaorin lay curled up naked under the covers of the bed with each other, breathing heavily, as if they had just been running. The only sensation they felt was pleasure.

"That…felt awesome…" Kaorin said, blushing even harder, but staring into Kagura's eyes.

"I'm…so glad...my first time…was with you…Kaorin…" Kagura said.

Kaorin smiled, and they kissed.

WHAM!! A pound came on their door.

"OUCH!" They heard Tomo yell. "I thought that would've worked!"

Kagura sighed. "Guess bliss can't last forever…"

"Well, we did kind of make a lot of noise when we…were finishing…" Kaorin said, blushing more at the last part.

A pounding came from the door.

…

"Kagura-san! Kaorin!" Nyamo yelled.

"Hold on, I'm coming!!" The four heard Kagura yell.

Kagura appeared at the door, but only opened it a crack. From the crack, the four could see she had covered herself up with a blanket, and was using one hand to keep it on herself. Kaorin was sitting over on the bed, also covered, but with a different blanket.

"Um…did you guys scream?" Nyamo asked.

"And…why the hell are you only wearing a blanket?" Tomo asked.

"Um…Kurosawa-sensei…could you come in here for a minute?" Kagura asked.

Nyamo was a bit surprised by this, but walked into the room, and shut the door behind her. Yukari, Tomo, and Saotome put their ears up against the door.

…

"Kurosawa-sensei…I brought you in here since I don't…" Kagura started.

Nyamo slapped her hand over Kagura's mouth.

"Speak quietly, Yukari and Tomo are listening," Nyamo whispered, and pulled her hand back. "Now, why did you scream?"

"Oh, right, sorry…" Kagura whispered. "Anyway…the reason that we screamed is because… well…" Kagura began blushing a very deep red. Kaorin also began doing the same.

Nyamo stared at Kagura, then went at Kaorin, then went back to Kagura again.

"You…" Nyamo started, and then quickly lowered her voice. "…lost your virginity?"

"Um…yeah, we both did…to each other…" Kagura whispered, still blushing a dark red.

Nyamo stood there stunned for a minute, then began smiling.

"I'm so happy for you, Kagura-san," Nyamo whispered, and put a hand on Kagura's shoulder. "If it's really with a person that you love, I fully support it." She then looked over at Kaorin. "You as well."

"Thank you, Kurosawa-sensei..." Kaorin said, feeling a new respect towards her already respected teacher.

"Thanks, Kurosawa-sensei." Kagura said, and then whispered. "Listen; would you not tell Tomo-chan or Yukari-sensei…I'd really rather not have them know about this until both of us are ready to tell them."

"My lips are sealed," Nyamo said.

Nyamo then left the room, and she heard the lock click.

"So, what happened in there?" Tomo asked.

"Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea." Yukari said, smiling evilly. "KAGURA AND KAORIN WERE MAKING LOVE, AND LOST THEIR VIRGINITY TO EACH OTHER!!" she said very loudly.

"Damn it, Yukari, keep it down out there!!" Kagura screamed.

Neither Kagura nor Kaorin blamed Nyamo for that. They knew Yukari could've very easily guessed, considering Kagura had only asked for Nyamo to come into the room.

…

"So, how do you know Japanese?" Yomi asked Shaun as they were driving.

"Oh, I really did lose 50 lbs thanks to your tips. When I found out you were Japanese, I set out to learn the language so I could meet you one day." Shaun said.

Yomi blushed. She was beginning to like this guy.

"So, where are we going?" Yomi asked.

"I know of a good restaurant around here." Shaun said.

…

Joe's parents were very accepting of his choice to marry Sakaki (they truly believed that he would never even get a girlfriend).

Joe and his mother actually had a private moment.

"**She's very beautiful. I'm very proud of you**," his mother whispered.

"**Thanks, mom**," Joe said.

"**So, when am I gonna have some grandkids to spoil?**" his mother asked with a smile.

"**Moooooom!"**Joe said, rubbing the back of his head with one hand, his face red in embarrassment.

…

Joe and Sakaki were on their drive home when Joe spotted something he knew Sakaki would love and turned off.

"Where are we going?" Sakaki asked.

"Something I just saw that I know you're going to enjoy," Joe said.

…

Sakaki was blushing slightly as she rode on top of the saddle on this beautiful brown horse.

Joe just leaned up against a tree close by, and watched her ride.

Sakaki simply rode the horse, even making it go faster, and eventually getting to the point of being able to have it jump over set-up fences.

"**That girl's a natural. Seems like she's almost done this before**," The ranch owner said.

Joe just smiled.

Sakaki seemed immensely satisfied with the horseback ride, which made Joe happy enough.

…

Joe also stopped at a deer farm.

Sakaki blushed at the deer that came up and ate the corn out of her hand. She got to pet everything, from the male with big antlers, to the tiniest fawn.

Even more satisfied, Sakaki went into the car, feeling content and blissful.

…

Joe and Sakaki arrived back at the house at about 10:00 pm

"Ah, Sakaki-san!" Kaorin said. She and Kagura were sitting around the table. Everybody else was already asleep in bed.

"Well, Sakaki-san, I'm going to bed. Goodnight," he walked off, because he knew she would be slightly embarrassed kissing in front of Kagura and Kaorin.

Sakaki grabbed him anyway, and pulled him in for a long kiss. Then she pulled back.

"Thank you….for everything today…" Sakaki said, blushing slightly.

"Uh…no problem," Joe responded (himself blushing), before heading off to bed.

Kaorin sighed. "Still into him, huh?"

"He took me horse-back riding, and took me to pet a few deer, too," Sakaki said in her cool voice, as she sat down at the table

"So, you wanna hear what Kaorin and I did?" Kagura asked, grinning.

"Kagura!! I really don't want Sakaki to hear that!" Kaorin said, looking down and blushing furiously.

"Oh, c'mon, she'll love it!" Kagura said, looking over at Kaorin.

"Fine, but I'll tell her then!" Kaorin said. "Sakaki-san… I just wanted to tell you… that Kagura and I…"

Sakaki waited for her as Kaorin's face turned red.

"Kagura and I…made love today." Kaorin finished.

Sakaki sat there, completely stunned.

"Ero-ero, female style" Kagura said, turning to Sakaki, still wearing that smile.

"Kagura!!" Kaorin said, her face turning redder.

Sakaki started blushing furiously. Her own two friends, her rival and ex-lover, had done the 'ero-ero' dance.

"Uh…uh…." was all Sakaki could muster.

"So, then, I'm guessing you didn't do it yet?" Kagura asked.

Kaorin's face turned back to normal as she now looked at Sakaki.

Sakaki's face turned from embarrassment to a slight amount of fear as well as embarrassment.

Kagura reached over, and put one hand on Sakaki's shoulder.

"Sakaki-san, don't be afraid." Kagura said, in a very calm tone.

Sakaki looked over at her slightly confused at what she just said.

"Don't be afraid of what may happen. Just know that the guy who asked you to marry him will always stick by your side, no matter what." Kagura said, still in that same tone.

"B-but…" Sakaki started. She then sighed. "I'm just…so nervous… That night that he asked me to marry him, I felt so happy. And today, when he took me horseback riding, and to that deer farm, I felt even happier. He's a guy who makes me happy. But…I always feel like…like…like I should be giving something back in return."

"Is that what the kiss was for?" Kagura asked.

Sakaki nodded, now looking down at the table. "But I feel like it's not enough. I know what would really make him happy. But…I'm just…not sure about it…" Sakaki began to blush.

"Sakaki-san, don't worry about it." Kaorin said.

Sakaki then looked up at Kaorin. Sakaki looked like she was about ready to cry.

"But…what if I'm not good enough? What if it's not what he expected? What if…?" Sakaki couldn't finish. Tears were already welling up in her eyes.

"Sakaki-san, that's why I said don't worry about it." Kaorin said, trying to comfort Sakaki. "When the time comes, you two will do it. And trust me, the satisfaction and pleasure you get out of it is amazing. It's hard the first time, so don't worry about screwing up, and don't worry about doing it quickly. Just take your time, he'll be ready when you are."

Sakaki just stared at the table for a moment, before she got up and walked into her room, where Joe was still getting ready for bed, so many things rushing through her mind at that point.

"You think she'll do it?" Kagura asked Kaorin.

"Why worry about it? It's Sakaki's life." Kaorin said, watching Sakaki walk into her room.

"Wow! That's the last thing I would expect to hear from you, Kaorin" Kagura said in utter surprise.

"That's because Sakaki's living her own life now, and I'm living mine…with the best girlfriend anybody could ever have," Kaorin said, looking over at Kagura.

She and Kagura leaned over the table for a long, romantic kiss.

"Say, ya up for round 2?" Kagura asked after pulling back.

"You pervert!" Kaorin said. "I'll race ya upstairs!"

…

Joe turned off the lights and took his glasses off as he and Sakaki curled up into bed. Sakaki still had so many things rushing through her mind.

Her marriage, Kagura and Kaorin, those two losing their virginities, what they had told her about it…

She just wanted to clear her mind, just wanted to not be thinking about it.

"Sakaki? You alright?" Joe asked. He could now clearly see Sakaki wasn't sleeping.

"Joe, what if I told you that…two people I know…lost their virginities?" Sakaki asked, embarrassed.

"It was Kaorin and Kagura, wasn't it?" Joe asked.

"Uh…yeah, how did you know?" Sakaki asked, surprised.

"Because when you came into the room, you had a sullen look on your face, and you didn't have that look all day. And it was just a guess, considering Kagura and Kaorin were out there." Joe said.

Sakaki pulled herself away from Joe, and sat up in bed. The moonlight shown through their window.

Sakaki just stared at the floor. Joe sat up in bed, looking at her back.

"Sakaki, I'm here for you. You can tell me if something's bothering you…" Joe said, feeling as if Sakaki was holding something back from him.

"I…I…" Sakaki couldn't speak. She just felt so helpless for who she was at that point.

Joe didn't know how to get Sakaki to talk to him this time…

But he knew a good way to help Sakaki feel better.

He had memorized the site since last time, because it had been so effective.

He pulled Sakaki's PJ's down just far enough to bare her shoulders, and then began massaging them.

Sakaki instantly relaxed. She sighed heavily, fully enjoying the massage she was getting.

"I just…" Sakaki started. "Wish I could pay you back for all the nice things you do for me…"

"You do, Sakaki. You give me your love. And that's all I need." Joe said lovingly, continuing with the massage.

"But…that's just it…I feel like it's not enough…" Sakaki said.

She flashed back to the horseback riding, and how fun it had been. She flashed back to the deer farm, and how cute that fawn had been.

"What do you mean, Sakaki? Why would you feel as if it's not enough?" Joe asked. He stopped massaging.

Sakaki leaned back and pulled Joe in for a kiss. Sakaki then held on to him, continuing to kiss, as she laid her back down on the bed.

Sakaki let go. "I want us…to make love…" Sakaki said, blushing.

"Uh…Sakaki, are you sure you're ready for this?" Joe asked nervously.

Sakaki wrapped her arms around Joe's neck.

"It's…the one thing that this time…I'm sure I'm ready for…" Sakaki said. She and Joe began to kiss once more.

Joe forcefully pulled back and out of Sakaki's grasp, and Sakaki almost felt like someone was pulling her heart out.

"I'm sorry, Sakaki, it's not you…It's just that…" Joe said, and he sighed. "I'm 24, and still a virgin. I don't know…if…I'm really going to...um…be all that you'd expect…"

Sakaki's eyes went wide at the realization. He was just as nervous as she was!

Sakaki laughed a little to herself.

"I know, it's funny, a guy being nervous about his first time…" Joe said, looking down at the floor in shame.

"No, it's not that." Sakaki said, still smiling to herself. "I'm just…so happy…"

"Huh?" Joe asked, looking back at Sakaki.

Sakaki sat up in bed. "I'm feeling the exact same way! I was so nervous, not knowing if I was going to be all that you expected!"

"Oh, c'mon, you?" Joe said. "You're a very beautiful woman, I'm a gaming nerd. I have more reason to be nervous than you do."

Sakaki just giggled.

After Sakaki stopped giggling, Joe thought of something.

"You know, the funny thing is, we're going to be married soon, and we still have these slight fears around each other," Joe said, looking away.

Sakaki crawled over to Joe, and wrapped her arms around Joe's neck again.

"Do you promise never to leave me?" Sakaki whispered in Joe's ear.

"I promise…to never leave you, and to be the most loving husband on the planet," Joe said.

"Then I promise to never leave you, and to be the most loving wife on the planet," Sakaki whispered in Joe's ear.

Joe turned his head, and he and Sakaki shared more loving.

Joe ended up falling on top of Sakaki while they continued to kiss, as he slowly unbuttoned her PJ top, and she slowly unbuttoned his.

The tops came off, and they both stopped kissing, staring into each other's eyes.

"I love you, Joe…" Sakaki said, a big smile on her face.

"I love you too, Sakaki…" Joe said back, a big smile on his face.

"Please…call me Tanaka…" Sakaki said, as she now blushed.

"I love you…Tanaka…" Joe said.

He and Sakaki began their kissing fury, both of them feeling love from the other, both of them loving what the other gave in return, as the clothes from both of them slowly came off…

…

Sakaki squealed as she climaxed for the first time. At the end of it all, she felt the happiest she had ever felt in her life, as she curled up naked in the arms of her lover, their bodies being covered by the blankets of the bed. All she felt was pleasure, in mind, body, and spirit.

"I love you, Tanaka," Joe said.

"I love you, too, Joe, for ever and ever…" Sakaki said.

Joe and Sakaki fell asleep, loving each other more than they ever had that night.

…

Author's notes: I have none. That was just…so beautiful. That is true love, and what true love should be.

Truthfully, this chapter is no more pornographic than a James Bond movie, if you think about it…

Things start to get hot…

-scene switch-

Things are over

And as a final note (thanks to Hallwings for pointing this out for me), Joe and Sakaki did use protection (Tomo's Birthday present really did come in handy after all!) , I just felt that would ruin the moment if I stuck it in the fic.

I don't really think protection is much of an issue for Kagura and Kaorin, though

Next Chapter: New Characters, the Azu-kids!!


	54. New Characters, the Azukids!

New Characters, the Azu-kids!!

…

It had now been a week at the house in America.

Things had finally settled down. Yukari and Tomo had finally come to an agreement that the both of them could kick Covenant butt on their own games.

Kagura and Kaorin loved each other more and more every day that passed.

Yomi and Shaun were dating on a regular basis now, and Shaun had finally gotten to at least sleep in the same room with Yomi (it was a start)

Sakaki and Joe decided to set their marriage date as soon as they got back to Japan, and Joe would take Sakaki's name, since his last name was actually more of a first. For now, they would simply enjoy the time in America.

Osaka and Arata spent their days enjoying it with each other, often talking about aliens, clones, and the end of humanity.

Saotome and Nyamo were becoming quite the pair. Nyamo really enjoyed his company because he was so happy to be a gym teacher, and so was she.

…

11:30 am

…

Joe stared out the window. He had kept track of the days, when Chiyo would finally return.

Sakaki and Kaorin sat down (they had actually tried chairs, and it was awkwardly for all of them, so they decided to go with the customary Japanese table) at the table behind Joe.

"So, Kaorin, you never did tell me, why did you decide to quit your job at the vet hospital back in April?" Sakaki asked.

"Well, I figured, since you were happy with Joe, staying there would be like chasing a lost dream. So I went and pursued my minor in Astronomy. I've even written a book already!" Kaorin said happily.

"Wow, that's awesome, Kaorin! I'm glad you're pursuing your dreams!" Sakaki said. Kaorin felt herself blush slightly. Getting praised by the cool Sakaki still gave her that rush.

"Hey, Kaorin, then maybe you could talk to the American Government about possibly wasting more of taxpayers' dollars, and changing Pluto back into a planet." Joe said, still staring out the window.

"But Pluto's not a planet…" Kaorin said.

"Hey, she's back!!" Joe said, looking excitedly out the window.

Chiyo Mihama came walking up the sidewalk. She looked grown-up, to say the least. Her hair had been put down, but ran all the way down her back. She now stood at least a good 154 cm tall (about 5'1'), her arms and legs had grown to be long and skinny, and had well moved herself out of Tomo's and Osaka's group (wink wink).

She wore a purple sweatshirt, and a long white skirt that went all the way down to her ankles.

Joe came running out the door, and gave Chiyo a big hug. Despite her only being gone a week, it felt as if she had been gone almost a year.

"Ah, Chiyo-chan!" Shaun said as he came walking out.

"It's Mihama-san to you. And I've gotta say, you've grown too, Shaun-san. Even learned some Japanese, too" Chiyo said, smiling the entire time. Her voice also sounded more grown-up.

"So, Chiyo, enjoy your time away from us?" Joe said as he pulled back from the hug.

"No, but I knew that I would rejoin all of my friends when I got done." Chiyo said.

Joe, Chiyo, and Shaun all came walking back in, and Joe closed the door. By this time, everybody else had come out to see the new Chiyo Mihama, (except, oddly, for Osaka and Arata)

Sakaki felt a slight tear of sadness at the new Chiyo.

Guess cute things don't last forever, Sakaki thought.

"So, Chiyo-chan, this is your grown up form, huh?" Kagura asked, as they all sat down at the table. (Chiyo still stood)

"Yup, but…" POOF! Now Chiyo, in her child form, wearing completely different clothes, appeared before them.

"I can change between forms whenever I want to!" Chiyo said. Her voice was back to that of a child. Her pigtails were also back.

Sakaki felt better inside. At least this way, she could enjoy the cuteness of Chiyo, and Chiyo could feel more grown-up at the same time.

"Well, seems like you've learned some new things since I last saw ya, ya little squirt!" Shaun said, rubbing Chiyo's head.

"Hey, I'm not a squirt!" Chiyo said.

"Yeah, you're more of a trickle." Tomo said, smiling evilly.

"And you better not fall asleep tonight…" Chiyo said, without missing a beat.

Tomo looked a little afraid, and everybody laughed. It was good to have Chiyo back.

It was at that point that Osaka and Arata came out of nowhere, and jumped Chiyo.

Osaka and Arata grabbed one of Chiyo's pigtails each.

"We knew that if we waited, your pigtails would show themselves again!" Osaka said.

"We'll save you, Chiyo-chan!" Arata said.

Osaka and Arata began to pull.

Before anybody could react, Chiyo spun in place very fast, sending Osaka and Arata flying.

Osaka and Arata were knocked against the wall, and fell unconscious, completely dizzy-eyed.

"Holy crap!!" Joe yelled in surprise.

"hehe…Mihama Hurricane Spin, Version 2" Chiyo said with an evil smile.

"Where'd you learn that?" Joe asked.

"When I was training. It was decided that my child form was defenseless if anybody grabbed on to my pigtails. So, that's when that move was made" Chiyo said, sitting down at the table.

DING-DONG!! A ring from the doorbell came.

"I'll get it." Joe said, as he got up to go answer.

A man stood at the door.

"Sign here, please," the man said, as he handed Joe a clipboard. Joe signed, and the man handed him a few more forms.

"Please wait to read these until I leave," the man said. "You kids can come out now!!"

Three little kids all came walking up to the man, and stood in a straight line, smiling at Joe (descriptions to come later)

"Have a nice day," The man said in a monotonous tone, as he walked away.

"Um… hi there…" Joe said, feeling a little awkward.

"We were told you're supposed to read the papers!" The first girl said.

Joe began to read:

"These three little girls are part of a scientific experiment into Genetic Fusion. Since they used the DNA of 5 of the people currently living in your household, we decided we should send them to the DNA donors. Each of them has already been raised to know that their DNA donors are their mothers. Please raise them as if they were one of your own, and love them and cherish them like your children.

The Children's Caretakers"

Joe flipped to the next page. It seemed that the next three pages had information on the three girls standing in front of them.

"Excuse me for just a moment," Joe said to the three girls.

"No problem," The first one said again.

Joe closed the door.

"I can't wait to meet my Kaa-san and Mama!" The first girl said.

The other two nodded their heads in agreement. They couldn't wait to meet their mothers either.

…

"Um, girls, there's something weird going on here. Do you ever remember donating DNA?" Joe asked.

"Well, not really donating, but they took blood samples back in high school, during our physicals. Why?" Kagura asked.

"Because there are three very cute looking girls outside and this thing claims that they belong to 5 of you." Joe said.

"Well, don't just leave them outside, let them in!" Yomi yelled.

"Yeah, show a bit of passion and maturity here, Joe! Geez!" Nyamo said.

Joe, a bit shocked and hurt by this, went back and opened up the door.

"OK," Joe started to read the first sheet in his small stack of papers. "It seems like this child belongs to…"

Joe re-read. He wiped his eyes, and read it again. He put the sheets down, cleaned his glasses, and read it again.

"Um…" Joe looked back in the room, where everybody was sitting. "This first child…belongs to…Yomi…and Tomo."

Everybody got the most shocked expressions on their faces. Tomo and Yomi, mothers with each other?!

Joe continued to read off of the sheet:

"She's four years old, and her name is Koyomiko Takino-Mizuhara."

That's a mouthful, Joe thought.

He took another look at Koyomiko. She had long hair that flipped outward towards the end, the color being a shade of hair that appeared violet-like. The girl also wore an all-too-familiar grin, and not to mention the pair of glasses sitting above her tiny nose. She wore a purple shirt, with shorts that went down to her knees, with white shoes.

"Um…go ahead and meet your…" Joe looked at the sheet again. "Mama…and Kaa-san…"

Koyomiko walked in to the house to see Tomo and Yomi sitting together.

"Mama!! Kaa-san!!!" Koyomiko said, as she ran up and gave Tomo a hug first (since she was closer), then Yomi. She then proceeded to sit in between the two.

"We have a daughter?" Tomo said, utterly surprised at this. "Strangely enough, though, she looks more like you"

Koyomiko turned her head and smiled at Tomo.

"That's me, though" Tomo said, giving the exact same smile back.

And she looks so…cute, everybody else thought.

Joe turned back and read off the second sheet.

"OK, this one is five years old, and her name is…" Joe smiled "Nekosa Sakaki"

He looked at the girl. She had long, straight black hair. She had on a brown t-shirt, jeans, and white shoes.

But she was unique. Rather than having human ears, she had cat ears (the pointy ones on top of her head) that were covered in black fur. She had a black cattail that was flicking slightly. She had cat-like fangs at the corners of her mouth. Her hands were normal human hands, but they were completely covered in black cat fur (the fur faded into pink human flesh about 4 inches down her arms from her wrists) with cat claws that extended and retracted like cat claws do, rather than fingernails. To top it all off, she had green cat-eyes (the slit-pupil ones).

But, if it were possible, the cat-like features made her...cuter

Joe turned inside the house, and Sakaki looked out at the next child in line.

Nekosa and Sakaki locked eyes. Both her and Sakaki stood frozen, blushing at the sight of each other. Sakaki; because she was so cute, and the cat features made it so much cuter and loveable; the little girl; because it was the first time seeing her mother in person. Her mother looked way better than the photos.

"Hey, Sakaki, says this little girl is yours..." Joe said.

Nekosa walked up to Sakaki, very slowly. Sakaki eyes just remained locked on this child.

"O...Okaasan?" Nekosa asked.

Sakaki turned towards the child, and opened her arms for a hug.

Nekosa jumped into Sakaki's opened arms and gave her a hug. Sakaki closed her arms, giving her child a hug as well.

Nekosa began to purr. Sakaki blushed harder at this sign of cuteness and hugged harder.

Every last girl in the room blushed at this newfound cuteness (except for Tomo and Yomi, who were still amazed at their own child)

So…cute, they all thought.

Joe turned to the final one.

"OK, she's six years old, and her name is Koharu Aida-Kagura." Joe said.

Another mouthful of a name, Joe thought, as he looked at the girl.

This Little girl about 6 years old, this girl had a haircut that only went down to the base of her neck and then seemed to just stop (Kaorin's haircut). Her hair was a pure brown, with her eyes being a dark brown. She wore pink wind-pants, and a pink t-shirt that said "I 3 you" (with a little heart at 3)

"Oh, daughter of Kaorin and Kagura…" Joe read off the sheet.

"Hi, I'm Koharu Aida-Kagura, pleased to meet you." the girl said, and bowed. Her voice was very close to that of Kaorin's.

"Pleased to meet you, too," Joe said, surprised by the little girl's politeness, and bowed back.

"I was also taught how to give a handshake, too!" Koharu said, as she held her hand out.

"Oh, wow, that's amazing!" Joe said, as he handed Koharu his hand to give a handshake.

He never saw it coming. The little six-year-old girl turned around, and with inhuman strength, flipped him over.

"I also don't like boys." Koharu said with a smile to Joe on the ground, and she then proceeded to walk in to see her two mothers.

"I just got owned by a six year old..." Joe said, staring up at Koharu walking in.

That's when he saw the back of her shirt, which said: "Unless you're a guy"

That's when he heard Shaun go, "Oh, aren't you so cute!"

A few seconds later, Shaun came flying out the door.

"That little girl has some inhuman strength, and I don't think she likes me…" Shaun said, dizzy-eyed on the ground.

"Actually, she doesn't like any boys at all, and she's got Kagura's strength." Joe said, as lifted himself up.

…

"Holy cow, she's got some strength!" Kagura said in complete surprise, after Koharu had just launched Shaun out the door.

"That's Koharu-san! She's my best friend! She doesn't like boys…" Koyomiko said.

"I thought I was your best friend…" Nekosa said, still in Sakaki's arms. Her voice was tender and sweet.

"Oh, you are! You're both my best friends!" Koyomiko said.

Nekosa smiled and blushed at this. Her tail flicked back and forth.

Koharu came walking up, and hugged Kagura.

"Natsuko-mama!" Koharu said, as she went up and hugged Kagura.

"Natsuko?" Kaorin asked.

"Uh…yeah, that's my first name," Kagura said, blushing and rubbing the back of her head with one hand in embarrassment.

Means summer child…that's such a nice name, Kaorin thought, blushing slightly.

"So, I guess you're my kid?" Kagura asked Koharu.

"Hm-hm! You and Kaori-kaa-san!" Koharu said.

She then proceeded to walk up to Kaorin, and give her a hug.

Kaorin was surprised. Despite her having an inhuman strength, Koharu was giving her the nicest hug (different from Kagura's hug). Soft and sweet.

"I love you, Kaori-kaa-san" Koharu said sweetly and gently.

Kaorin couldn't help but blush at this. A tough outer edge against all men, yet soft and sweet around all women.

Kaorin hugged back, and hugged tightly.

"I love you, too…Koharu" Kaorin said, tears forming up in her eyes.

Kagura couldn't help but blush at that cute sight. Everybody else just smiled.

It was at that point that Joe and Shaun came walking back in from their beat down.

…

"OK, so I think we have a few questions for the new girls," Joe said.

"OK, but if the mothers find the questions to be inappropriate, or we don't like 'em, we can stop," Yomi said

"Oh, C'mon, Yomi, lighten up!" Tomo said.

"Yeah, Kaa-san, lighten up!" Koyomiko said, mimicking Tomo.

"I love this girl already!" Tomo said, smiling and rubbing Koyomiko's head.

"So…you guys were…created through…" Shaun started.

"We were created through Genetic Fusion," Koyomiko said.

Everybody stared at the little girl who was able to say 'Genetic Fusion'

"So, um…who raised you guys through the first years of your life?" Joe asked.

"Oh, for me, it was Funari-mama. She taught me a lot of stuff." Koyomiko said.

"For me and Nekosa, it was JBK-san" Koharu said.

Nekosa was now sitting down, but Sakaki was stroking Nekosa's hair. It felt so much like her own…

"JBK-san?" Shaun asked.

"That's all he ever wanted us to call him…" Koharu said.

"And I gotta say, you speak Japanese pretty well…" Chiyo said.

"Funari-mama taught me both Japanese and English. She told me that I'm such a smart girl!" Koyomiko said.

Smarter than one of your mothers, too, Yomi thought, looking at Tomo.

"JBK-san did the same for us two." Nekosa said. Every time she spoke, Sakaki would blush. Her voice was just so cute…

"Never did quite understand that English, though…" Koharu said, rubbing the back of her head with one hand.

Thank goodness, Kagura thought.

"So…this…uh…Genetic Fishing…" Tomo started.

"Genetic Fusion, silly Mama," Koyomiko said.

"Right…what exactly is it?" Tomo asked.

"Well, it's mixing DNA of one person with another. We were created, and because of that…" Koyomiko lifted up her shirt to show her stomach "…we have no belly-button"

"That sounds so…unloving…" Kaorin said, tears welling up.

"Oh, no! Funari-mama took good care of me, and JBK-san took good care of Koharu-san and Nekosa-san! They raised us to know our Okaasan's!" Koyomiko said, smiling.

"And now that we're old enough, they said it was time for you guys to take care of us!" Koharu said.

Nekosa just nodded her head. She seemed very shy.

Osaka and Arata finally came to, as they came walking over.

"Ugh…Chiyo's pigtails can protect themselves now…" Osaka said, rubbing her head where she hit it.

"Guess we'll have to try something different…" Arata said, also rubbing his head where he hit it.

Osaka and Arata looked around, and noticed the three new girls sitting there.

"Eh? Where did they come from?" Osaka asked.

"Silly Osaka-basan! All knocked out against the wall!" Koyomiko said.

"Osaka…bachan?" Osaka asked, staring at her in confusion.

"Oh, and Arata-jisan!" Koyomiko said, pointing at Arata.

"Arata…jisan?" Arata asked, staring the same way Osaka was.

"Somehow…when I stare at Arata, I don't feel like I do with other guys…" Koharu whispered to Kagura.

"What do you mean?" Kagura asked.

"I…fell like I want to just…back away slowly…" Koharu said, looking slightly afraid.

"Oh, don't worry, they're both harmless…" Kagura said.

"For the most part," Kaorin added.

Osaka and Arata both stared now at Nekosa, who stared back with her green cat-eyes.

"She looks like a cat…" Arata said.

"Wonder if the tail is attached…" Osaka asked.

"Um…it's attached…" Nekosa said blushing, and tried to hide her tail.

"Do you think it's evil?" Arata asked Osaka.

"DON'T YOU DARE!!" Sakaki yelled out.

Everybody leaned back at Sakaki's sudden outburst.

"Her tail is not evil!" Sakaki said, fire burning in her eyes at Arata and Osaka.

"Not evil. Got it." Both Osaka and Arata said, backing off.

Nekosa smiled and blushed. She loved her mother for being so protective.

Then all three of the little stomachs let off a growl.

"Hehe…I guess it's time for lunch…" Chiyo said.

"So, I guess then we would need to ask what your favorite foods are…" Shaun said.

"Oh, I like sandwiches!" Koyomiko announced, raising her hand.

"I'll eat anything!" Koharu said.

"That's my girl!" Kagura said.

"I…like fish…" Nekosa said in her tiny voice.

Sakaki blushed again, but this time hugged Nekosa tightly.

"I love you so much…" Sakaki said, smiling and closing her eyes.

Nekosa's face turned red, as she began purring loudly. Her tail whipped back and forth.

…

Author's notes: So, I…

Koyomiko: JBK! JBK!

JBK: Huh? What is it, Koyomiko?

Koyomiko: Can Koharu, Nekosa, and I do the author's notes?

JBK: Sure, go ahead (_thinks: god, they're cute_)

Koyomiko: OK, so, JBK would like to give full thanks to Funari-mama for helping with names, as well as letting me stay over, and that all co…copy…

JBK: Copyrights… (_JBK blushing in absolute cuteness from Koyomiko_)

Koyomiko: Copyrights for me belong to her! Thanks, Funari-mama! (_waves_)

Nekosa: JBK would also like to point out that all the…copyrights…for me and Koharu belong to him, but (_blushes cutely_) if you asked him, I'm pretty sure he'd be nice enough to let us stay over.

Koharu: Yeah, and it should also be noted that I'm not afraid of guys! I just don't like 'em! (_smacks fist into open hand_) But I do enjoy beating the stuffing out of 'em!

JBK: Hey, not all guys are bad.

Koharu: Oh, sorry, JBK. I like you…(_rubs back of head with one hand, making her look cute_)

JBK: (_looks at all three of them, sighing at absolute cuteness_) you know, this fic may be cancelled soon due to overload in cuteness…

Kimura: And we wouldn't want that, would we?

JBK: PERVERTED MAN!! (_points at Kimura_)

Koharu: HECK YEAH!!! (_Runs full speed at Kimura, jumps, and round-house kicks Kimura in the face, sending him flying, and landing a few feet away_)

(_JBK, Nekosa, and Koyomiko all clap their hands, and all three hold up signs with '10' on them_)

(_We see Kimura lying on the ground, as the camera zooms back to see Kaorin hugging Koharu tightly_)

Kaorin: MY GOD, I LOVE YOU!!

Nekosa and Koyomiko: Next Chapter: Fun with the Azu-kids!!


	55. Fun with the Azukids

Fun with the Azu-kids

Note:**Bold**, English. That's all I'm gonna say.

…

12:30

…

Well, everybody had lunch, and the mothers all laid down their children for a nap.

Non-flash cameras and cell phones took pictures of the three kids sleeping together. It was just so…cute.

While they took a nap, however, the adults had things to discuss.

"So, what do you think? Do we raise them?" Tomo asked.

"Of course we do. They are our children." Sakaki said, in her cool voice.

"But...I mean, seriously, what do we know about them?" Yomi asked.

"Oh, that reminds me" Joe said, looking at the sheets one again in his hands. "I think the mothers need to read these, it may be important."

He handed the information on Koyomiko to Yomi and Tomo, the info on Nekosa to Sakaki, and the info on Koharu to Kaorin and Kagura.

"Birthday's November 1st…" Yomi read off the sheet. "Enjoys exploration…very creative…oh, she knows Spanish…"

Sakaki was on the verge of tears as she read her's.

"Sakaki-san?" Joe asked.

She could also see that she was smiling.

"My mother…" Sakaki said. "…can see her. She's hypoallergenic, and doesn't shed."

Joe gave Sakaki a loving hug. At least Sakaki's mother would be able to see her own granddaughter.

"Extreme dislike for men…" Kaorin read. "Don't need to tell us twice." (sweat-drop)

"At least you don't have to worry about Kimura bugging you anymore…" Yukari pointed out.

With that note, Kaorin got the biggest smile she had had in a while.

"Hey! An excellent swimmer! Must be from my side" Kagura said, grinning.

"Um…did anybody else notice we don't have a change of clothes for them?" Osaka asked.

Everybody stopped, and stared at Osaka in amazement.

"Dear god, Osaka, you're making sense…" Nyamo said, wide-eyed.

"So, we go shopping while a few people stay home and watch the kids…" Yomi said.

"Um, from what I've learned throughout my life, if you're going to buy clothes for kids, you take them with you. It may be hell, but at least you get the right sizes." Joe said.

Everybody sighed. That meant they were going to have to wait for the girls to get up.

That's when something else popped into Yomi's mind. Something she knew she would have to do, but didn't want to do it.

"Shaun, can I talk to you for a minute?" Yomi asked.

Shaun nodded and proceeded into a separate room with Yomi. Tomo, being Tomo, put her ear up against the door.

Everybody watched Tomo. They knew she would give them the run-down of what was said after they came out.

…

"First up, Shaun, I just wanted to say, that you're a really nice guy, and I appreciate all that you've done for me…" Yomi started.

"You want to break up with me, don't you?" Shaun said.

"Well, technically, we wouldn't be breaking up, considering we technically weren't boyfriend and girlfriend." Yomi said.

Yomi saw that what she just said kind of hurt Shaun's feelings.

"What I meant to say was, you're a smart guy, but I'm raising a kid with Tomo, (even though I seriously don't want to) and…somehow…I feel like you and I were just never meant to be." Yomi said.

Shaun still looked hurt.

Yomi went up, and kissed him on the lips.

"You're nice, and a smart guy. Please, don't ever lose that." Yomi said sweetly.

Shaun felt crushed. His only love, a person whom he had followed because she helped him from afar, rejected him.

Shaun walked out of the room (Tomo just barely managed to get out of the way), and walked out of the house.

"What was that all about?" Joe asked.

"Nothing…" Yomi said, as she walked out of the room, and sat back down at the table.

Why did I do that? I thought I hated Tomo… Yomi thought.

"She broke up with him…" Tomo said, walking back to the table. She also seemed a bit sullen.

But, why would she do that? I thought she hated me… Tomo thought.

"Hey, Chiyo, maybe you should go talk to him…maturely" Joe said.

Chiyo got up, and changed to her adult form. She then walked out to talk with Shaun.

…

"Shaun?" Chiyo asked.

Shaun sighed. "Hey, Chiyo"

"What's the matter?" Chiyo asked.

"Yomi just broke up with me…" Shaun said. He sat down on the grass, curled up, and put his head into his knees. "I feel crappy right now."

Chiyo walked over and sat down.

"Why don't you tell me about it?" Chiyo asked.

"Well, after I got out of college, I went off to become a video game character designer, but I started gaining weight. After that, I tried a whole bunch of dieting tips, but none of them worked. I finally got to Yomi's tips, and her's worked!! I fell in love with her, even learning Japanese so that one day, I could meet her, and ask her out to dinner, maybe even marry her."

Chiyo listened intently to Shaun's story.

"But that can't happen now. She just dumped me for Tomo. For Tomo! Do you have any idea how crushing this is to my self-esteem?" Shaun asked.

"Well, they have a child now. Having a kid changes a lot of stuff in life." Chiyo said.

Shaun sighed. "Yeah, but…"

"Listen, when we all go shopping, I'll buy you some lunch. That will cheer you up. How does that sound?" Chiyo asked.

Shaun looked over at her. She seemed so much more…mature in her adult form.

Shaun smiled. "Sure, I'd like that."

Chiyo closed her eyes, and smiled happily. "OK, then."

"Can we…call it a date?" Shaun asked.

Chiyo looked at him for a moment, then smiled again.

"Sure, we can call it a date…" Chiyo said.

"Thanks, Chiyo, you really are a good friend…" Shaun said, smiling.

…

Shaun and Chiyo walked back inside the house, both of them smiling slightly.

Way to go, Chiyo, Joe thought.

"OKAASAN!!" Nekosa screamed.

All of a sudden, Nekosa came running out of the room. She leapt over the guardrail of the second story, fell down (on her feet) in the living room (landing perfectly), and ran right up to Sakaki, and grabbed hold in a frightened hug. Nekosa started crying.

"shhh, shhh, it's OK, it's alright…" Sakaki cooed. Somehow, seeing Sakaki as a motherly figure really made Joe love her more.

"Okaasan, the big mean dog is gonna get me!" Nekosa screamed. She had tears running down her face.

"What big mean dog?" Sakaki asked.

"She had a nightmare…" Koyomiko said, coming out of the room, rubbing her eyes. Nekosa had woken her up.

"She gets these dreams about a big mean dog chasing her…" Koharu said, also coming out of the room.

Nekosa cried more into Sakaki's shoulder. Sakaki tried to calm her down.

"Dreams about a big mean dog? Well, I've had something like that before…but the dog usually had rabies." Shaun whispered in Joe's ear.

"It's a cat thing. Leave her alone." Joe whispered back.

Koyomiko and Koharu came down and gave both of their mothers a hug.

Yukari, on the other hand, decided to do something mean.

Yukari crawled over behind Sakaki and started whispering to Nekosa.

"The big mean dog…he enjoy's eating little kitty girls…" Yukari said evilly.

Nekosa buried her head in Sakaki's shoulder and began to shake in fear.

When Yukari began to laugh, Sakaki turned around, grabbed her by the collar and pulled her close.

Yukari's face was now two centimeters away from Sakaki's face, and Sakaki looked angry.

"Don't…EVER…scare my daughter like that again." Sakaki said, her eyes burning death and destruction.

Yukari saw these eyes that she had never seen before. A burning hatred and a need to kill any person that dares mess with the daughter of Tanaka Sakaki.

"I'm…sorry…I won't do it again." Yukari said, completely full of fear. Sakaki let her go, and Yukari backed up against the very far wall.

"Woah…" Tomo said, completely shocked at Sakaki's action just two seconds before.

Sakaki hugged Nekosa tighter, now once again sounding soothing and loving. "It's alright…she was just being insensitive…the dog's not gonna get you…."

"So, what are we going to do now?" Koyomiko asked Yomi, as Nekosa began to calm down.

"Well, as it turns out, we need to go clothes shopping" Yomi said.

"Oh, than I know just the perfect place not far from here! Let's go!" Shaun said.

…

Yukari, Nyamo, Saotome, Osaka, and Arata stayed at home, while everybody else went shopping.

No surprise, Shaun took them to the local Wal-mart. And the Azu-girls were introduced to name-brand items at low, low prices.

…

"Hey, thanks for bringing me out to lunch, I really enjoyed it," Shaun said to Chiyo, after he had finished his sub from Subway (which was connected to Wal-mart)

"No problem, Shaun," Chiyo said. "I could tell you needed it."

"Yeah" Shaun said. "So, tell me, what have you been doing with Joe while I was here in America?"

And so, Chiyo would tell Shaun of the fun times that Joe had brought while the rest of her friends shopped.

…

Meanwhile…

…

"Hey, what do you think of this one?" Yomi asked Koyomiko, holding up a purple t-shirt with a pink flower on it.

Koyomiko popped her head out from one of the clothes racks to look.

"Looks good, Kaa-san!" Koyomiko said smiling, and she stuck her head back into the clothes rack.

"Great, now to just find your size…" Yomi said, looking back at the racks.

"Hey, Yomi, what do you think?" Yomi heard Tomo ask.

Yomi looked to see Tomo in one of the skimpiest two-piece bikini's she had ever seen in her entire life.

"Makes it fully known how flat you are," Yomi said monotonously.

Tomo looked angrily at Yomi.

"At least I'm willing to show off my body weaknesses, unlike yourself!" Tomo retorted.

Koyomiko popped her head out of the clothes rack again, and now began watching Yomi and Tomo argue.

"At least when I go to the beach, guys look at me!" Yomi snapped.

"Most of the fat guys, anyway!" Tomo hit back.

"Oh, as if any of the guys at all would look at you!" Yomi yelled.

This arguing continued on for a few minutes.

Koyomiko would turn her head to watch each mother retort to the other in this volleyball-like argument.

Koyomiko always enjoyed watching her mothers verbally fight. It was grown up talk, and she loved it.

…

Kagura and Kaorin were having problems deciding what to get Koharu.

"That would definitely look cute on her!" Kaorin said, pointing to a bright pink shirt.

"Yeah, but seriously, we should get her something cool, like this!" Kagura said, pulling out a dark blue shirt with waves crashing down.

"Oh, c'mon. She can get that when she's older. We should get her something cute, to match her own cuteness!" Kaorin said.

"Now how are we supposed to say our daughter can easily beat up any guy when she's wearing bright pink?" Kagura asked.

"It's reverse psychology. They drop their guard because she's wearing pink, and then she can totally kicks their butts!' Kaorin said back.

Neither of them noticed that Koharu had lost interest in them talking, and was now walking over to three guys who were looking for trouble.

…

"Okaasan, these pants don't fit well…" Nekosa said

"That's because you're tail is underneath them. Don't worry though. When we get home, your Okaasan will cut a hole in the butt so they'll fit, OK?" Sakaki said, closed-eyed smiling at the last part.

"OK!" Nekosa said happily.

"**Hey, look at the little freak child**!" One guy said, pointing at Nekosa.

"**Hehe…she looks just like a little cat**!" Another one of his buddies said.

"**Maybe you autta sick Killer on her**!**He'd tear her to shreads**!!" The third guy said.

"Okaasan, who's Killer?" Nekosa asked Sakaki.

Sakaki wouldn't answer. She was giving the mean glare at these idiots. They all seemed to be muscular, with their muscle making up for the lack of brains.

"**Oh, her mother's a hottie, though!**" The first guy said.

"**Back off, boys. She's mine.**" Joe yelled from the fitting room bench, DS in hand, not even looking up.

"**Awww, the little nerd's gonna stick up for his girlfriend and her freak daughter.**" The man said.

"**Not me,**" Joe said, "**Her,"** He pointed to the right of the guys.

The guys looked over in the direction Joe was pointing to notice little 6-year old Koharu.

"**You insulted my friend!!"** Koharu said, punching her fist into her empty hand.

The three guys looked at the little girl, looked at each other, and started laughing.

"**You mean you're gonna let a little 4-year old stick up for you?!**" Guy 3 asked in hysteria.

"**First up, she's six. Secondly, yes, I will, because she will do far worse to you than I ever could.**" Joe said, still not even looking up from his DS.

The three guys laughed even harder.

At this point, Joe smiled.

"**Don't believe me? Fine then, but give her a handicap, she's only six.**" Joe said (still stuck on his DS)

"**OK, then, I'll let her have my hand…her you go, little girl…**" The first guy said, handing Koharu his hand.

Koharu took the hand, and immediately bent the middle finger all the way the wrong way.

"**ARRRRRRRRRGH!**" The man screamed.

"**My turn! Chaaaaaaaa!!**" Koharu jumped into the air.

A Dust cloud covers all violent actions against the three guys as Koharu hits them

From the dust cloud, all we hear is "**OW!!...OH, DEAR GOD, HELP!!...SWEET MOTHER!! THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BEND THAT WAY!!...OH, PLEASE, HAVE MERCY, DEMON CHILD!!!...**"

The dust clears to see Koharu dusting herself off, as the three guys are now pretzeled with each other.

"**I can't believe we just got beat by a six-year old girl**…" The first guy said.

"**And if you ever insult my friend again, I'll do much worse than this**!" Koharu said, clenching her fists against the guys.

"**I don't see what could be much worse than this**…" The second guy said.

Koharu smiled evilly. "**I know a procedure for removing male private parts**…"

Joe paused his game, his eyes went wide, and he immediately covered his crotch.

The three guys looked about ready to wet themselves.

"**Now**…" Koharu gave them a kick that sent them rolling. "**Beat it!!"**

The guys rolled into a display, smashing it to pieces.

"Koharu-chan, where the h…where in the world did you learn to remove the manly part of the man?" Joe asked.

"Oh, that would be JBK-san who taught me that!" Koharu said, beaming.

"God, JBK-san sounds nasty…" Joe said.

"Oh, he was actually very nice. He just taught me that for the muscular guys who didn't spend enough time of their lives watching anime!" Koharu said.

Sounds like subliminal advertising to me, Joe thought.

After grabbing the girls a bunch of new clothes, the Azu-girls checked out of Wal-mart. (Didn't have to wait at the checkouts, because they went to a line with all males in it, and they all let Koharu cut in line after her little demonstration)

…

Author's notes: I don't know if Japan has a Wal-mart or not.

Koharu really seems to enjoy beating down on men… Wonder how that's going to work out later in life?

Next Chapter: Family Love


	56. Family Love

Family Love

The group got home, and immediately went to work.

Yomi and Kaorin were in charge of washing the new clothes, and Sakaki was going to cut holes in the behinds of the pants and PJ bottoms she had bought for Nekosa.

In the meantime, Tomo was in charge of watching Koyomiko, Kagura was in charge of watching Koharu, and Joe was in charge of watching Nekosa.

Chiyo and Shaun went and sat down at the table to talk more. Talking to Chiyo made him feel better.

Yukari immediately went to her room to kill more Covenant for Halo 3.

Nyamo and Saotome noticed that the girls had everything in hand, so they decided to go have some personal time for themselves.

Osaka and Arata went to their room to discuss…well, whatever Osaka and Arata would discuss.

…

"C'mon, Koharu, catch me if you can!" Kagura yelled as she and Koharu ran through the field they called their front yard.

Koyomiko and Tomo had lied down on the grass, and Koyomiko was pointing out the cloud shapes.

"Oh, look, that one looks like Kaa-san!" Koyomiko said, pointing to one particular cloud.

"Wow, I can see it!" Tomo said. "You know, you've got quite the imagination…"

"That's what Funari-mama said all the time, too." Koyomiko said with a smile.

Nekosa and Joe had climbed up a tree (Nekosa had found it far easier), and were now both sitting on a separate branch in the tree.

"Um…Joe-san?" Nekosa asked.

"Yes, Nekosa-chan?"

"I was wondering…why do you like my Okaasan so much?" Nekosa asked.

"Well, because…" Joe responded, staring off into space.

"Because why?" Nekosa asked.

"Well, she's a loving woman, who cares a lot for the people closest to her." Joe said, looking back at Nekosa. "Look at how she reacted to Yukari-san teasing you."

Nekosa smiled at that memory. Her Okaasan had shown her tough side, but had also been soft enough to calm her down.

"But when we finally get married, I'll be looking forward to becoming your Otousan." Joe said with a smile.

"Married?" Nekosa asked.

"You'll understand when you're older," Joe responded, and continued to stare off into space.

…

That night, when everybody's getting ready to go to bed

…

Tomo and Yomi were arguing in Yomi's room.

"Oh, c'mon, Yomi, please?" Tomo asked.

"No" Yomi said.

"But, seriously, what will Koyomiko say?" Tomo asked.

"I don't care what Koyomiko will say! You're not sleeping in the same bed with me, no way, not now, not ever!" Yomi said.

Then they heard Koyomiko walking happily down the hall, singing.

(sung to the tune of 'following the leader')

"Gonna sleep to-gether, with Mama, and Kaa-san…gonna sleep together, when we go to bed."

Koyomiko walked into the room.

"Hey, there, kiddo, you're Kaa-san doesn't want me to sleep with you…" Tomo said.

Koyomiko's eyes watered up, and she looked over at Yomi.

"Kaa-san…why would you be so mean?" Koyomiko asked.

"uh…" Yomi stood there, now stuck. She could tell Tomo did it on purpose too, because she was giving her the evil wildcat smile.

Yomi pushed her glasses up (a sign of irritation), walked over to Koyomiko, put her hand on Koyomiko's head, and bent down to eye-level.

"I just meant that you should sleep with me tonight, and then you can sleep with her tomorrow night," Yomi said, smiling.

"But…" Koyomiko's eyes stayed watered up. "Koharu's sleeping with both her mom's …and…"

Yomi sighed. She knew trying to get Koyomiko to change her mind was impossible at this point.

"OK, let's all sleep together," Yomi said, though it sounded forced.

"Yay!! That's the spirit, Yomi!" Tomo said, patting her hard on the back.

"Yeah!" Koyomiko hugged Yomi tight. "Thank you, Kaa-san!"

And with energy only equal to each other, Tomo and Koyomiko jumped into bed.

I hope I get to sleep tonight… Yomi thought to herself.

…

As Koharu got herself dressed for bed, Kagura noticed something.

"Woah! You got some serious muscle in your arms, kid!"

"What do you mean, Kagura?" Kaorin asked.

Kagura showed Kaorin. Koharu's arms were built like Kagura's, despite Koharu having the face and complexion of Kaorin.

"And check that out, she's got the same legs I do, too!" Kagura pointed out, looking down at Koharu's legs.

"The toughness of Kagura mixed with my gentleness," Kaorin said.

"Our perfect child," Kagura said, smiling, and rubbing Koharu's hair.

Koharu just smiled.

"And the best part is, she can so totally beat up any guy that comes near us!" Kaorin said.

"hehe…your gentleness…possibly your hatred for men…" Kagura said, smiling.

"And you know it!" Kaorin said, smiling back.

…

Sakaki was already curled up with Nekosa in bed when Joe came in with his PJ's on.

He came over, layed down, and propped his head up on his hand, with his elbow on his pillow.

He could see the back of Nekosa. Her mother had cut a hole in the PJ's they had bought for her.

Nekosa…It's been bothering me all day now…who does she remind me of? Joe thought to himself.

Sakaki just stared at Nekosa, blushing at the absolute cuteness that was her daughter.

As if almost on automatic pilot, Joe subconsciously reached up and started scratching the outside of Nekosa's left cat ear.

Nekosa closed her eyes, and tilted her head to the left. She began purring, indicating that she was enjoying it.

Sakaki's blush became more noticeable, as her daughter grew cuter with the purr.

That's who she reminds me of, Joe thought.

Joe moved his hand from her left ear down to her neck, and began scratching in a particular spot (on the left-front side of the neck, right in-between the Adam's apple, and that one muscle on the farthest left of your neck.)

Nekosa now looked up, to let Joe scratch her neck better.

Sakaki watched this for a moment, and then looked up at Joe, and that's when she saw it.

He was crying.

Joe stopped and got up on his knees.

Nekosa looked back at Joe.

"What's wrong?" Nekosa asked.

"Those were…." Joe started, as he wiped away his tears. "…Neko-san's favorite scratch spots"

Sakaki now felt Joe's heartbreak. She had to stop herself from crying as well.

"Neko-san?" Nekosa asked.

"He was my cat who…" Joe started, then remembered Nekosa was only a child. "…was taken from me."

Nekosa turned her whole body around, and was now sitting on her knees as well.

"So, why can't you just go get him back?" Nekosa asked.

"Because…he was taken far away from me, so far away that I'll never see him again." Joe said, as a few more tears fell down his face.

Nekosa now looked like she was going to cry too. She jumped at Joe, and began hugging him, even rubbing her face up against his, and purring loudly, as if trying to help him feel better. Her cat tail was whipping back and forth.

Joe hugged Nekosa tightly.

I promise… to protect this child as one of my own. Just like Sakaki has done already, Joe thought.

Sakaki pulled herself up and joined in the group hug.

…

As for the rest of the group

…

Yukari fell asleep sprawled out, with her 360 controller still in hand.

Nyamo and Saotome fell asleep curled up with each other.

Osaka and Arata had curled up with each other, and had fallen asleep. Osaka was wearing a big smile across her face. Arata was possibly the only person who actually understood her in this world, and for that, she loved him.

Chiyo had let Shaun sleep in her room (she put a spare futon on her floor). Chiyo said it would help him heal faster.

…

A little while later

…

Yomi listened for Koyomiko's deep breathing before she started shaking Tomo.

"Hey, Tomo-chan…" Yomi whispered, trying to get her to wake up.

"uh… but I want the cookies, mommy…" Tomo said in her sleep, before rolling over.

Yomi then got up, walked over, and whispered in Tomo's ear.

"Tomo, you're breasts are huge" Yomi whispered.

Tomo sat straight up in bed, looking at her chest happily, only to realize that she had been tricked.

"I hate you," Tomo said with a big frown on her face, turning to Yomi

"We need to talk," Yomi said in a serious tone.

…

Tomo and Yomi were now sitting downstairs in the living room.

"Tomo," Yomi started as Tomo yawned. "Do you…really think we should raise a kid…together?"

Tomo put her elbow on the table, and put her head in her hand.

"Why do you ask?" Tomo asked.

"Well…" Yomi started. "I don't really think you're teaching job would be able to support a child."

"And you're dietician job doesn't do any better!" Tomo retorted.

"Actually, yes, it does." Yomi said, and then she stated her average bi-weekly paycheck.

Tomo, possibly because she was so tired, simply looked away in irritation (we're just gonna say it was way better than hers)

"But I can't do it myself. In order to support this kid, you need to get a better job." Yomi said.

"Hm." Tomo said, getting an evil smile. "There's typical Yomi, always getting serious, and always being the mature one."

"Tomo, I know that you're just blowing me off here, but when I tell Koyomiko that we need to move out of our house because her Mama can't get a better job, let's see how funny it is then." And with that, Yomi walked off to bed.

Tomo sat there for a while, slightly irritated that, for once, Yomi had actually made a good point.

Tomo sighed.

"Just what kind of other job can I get? I mean, teaching is fun…" Tomo said to herself.

She then had flashbacks to all those kids irritating the heck out of her, and how it had been so hard to save up for these tickets to America.

Tomo sighed again, this time putting her head on the table.

Tomo snapped back up. She had remembered a job she had wanted long ago, but was talked out of it by Yukari.

But she would have to do research, and for that, she would need Joe's laptop.

…

Tomo peeked inside Joe's room to see Joe, Sakaki, and Nekosa all curled up together, and all appeared to be sound asleep.

Tomo looked around the room from the doorway for any sign of Joe's laptop. She spotted it on what was probably Joe's dresser.

She slowly tip-toed to Joe's dresser, and took the laptop off of the dresser.

But with her being part cat, Nekosa awoke to the almost-no-noise that Tomo made.

"Tomo-san?" Nekosa asked. "What are you doing with Joe-san's laptop?"

Tomo whipped around, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was only Nekosa.

"I just need to do a bit of research," Tomo said as she tiptoed back out of the room, laptop under arm. "It's for helping out Koyomiko."

"Oh, OK, then," And Nekosa went back to sleep.

…

Tomo spent the rest of the night looking up ICPO wages, and even possible training and job offerings.

…

Author's notes: Actually, Japanese teachers get paid very well (much better than they do here) but I think Tomo needed a new job, and her ICPO dream job really seemed to fit her better than a teaching job did.

Next Chapter: Osaka-sempai, and travels


	57. Osakasempai, and Travels

Osaka-sempai, and travels

Note: sempai is said to someone who is either above you in the job/school ladder, or to someone who you deeply respect and admire.

…

Joe awoke the next morning, first to be up. He had purposefully trained his mind to do so.

He got up, waking up Nekosa in the process. He told her to go back to sleep, and she simply rolled around, and curled up with Sakaki.

Joe then got dressed, and walked out into the living room.

There sat Tomo, asleep, with her head on the table, Joe's laptop still running.

Joe carefully walked over to Tomo, ready to raise all kinds of hell, and that's when he looked at the computer screen.

"ICPO training offer?" Joe wondered.

"You're application has been sent, Thank you!" The computer screen read.

He looked down at the sleeping Tomo, then back at his laptop. He decided to let her sleep, and ask her about it later.

…

About 1 ½ hours later

…

Osaka woke up. She could smell something delicious. She sat up and sniffed the air.

Apparently, Arata had also smelled it, because he did the same thing.

"You smell that?" Osaka asked.

"Smells delicious" Arata said.

Both of them got out of bed to quickly get dressed.

…

The rest of the house also awoke to the sweet smell. It smelled like someone was cooking something delicious.

…

Yomi was the first one out to the dining room. She noticed Tomo still sitting there, sleeping, with the laptop still on ICPO job offerings.

Yomi smiled. Tomo, for the first time in her life, was being mature and responsible.

"Hey, Tomo," Yomi said, shaking Tomo slightly to wake her up.

Tomo groaned, and slowly opened her eyes.

"Y-Yomi?" Tomo sat up. "I've got…uhg…such a headache." Tomo put one hand on her head where it hurt the most.

Tomo acted very surprised when suddenly, and out of nowhere, Yomi gave her a hug.

"Thank you for understanding, and being mature." Yomi said.

"Uh…no problem?" Tomo said, slightly confused.

Yomi pulled back from the hug.

"Listen, I'm glad you decided to do this. You did it when you realized that your daughter could be hurt by your selfishness." Yomi said.

Tomo now smiled, despite still having a headache. Tomo could already feel herself getting soft, but… it felt… OK, somehow.

"Hey, Yomi, um…" Tomo started. "I know this is going to be…slightly awkward…but, could you…kiss me…on the lips?"

Yomi looked taken aback.

"What?" Yomi asked in complete shock.

Tomo sighed. "That idiot cos-player never kissed me. Was only ever interested in his cos-player outfit. You've kissed before. I want to know how that feels."

Yomi thought about it, and smiled. Tomo had been mature enough to look up better jobs, and even submit an application online. It was the least Yomi could do.

Yomi turned Tomo's face toward's hers, and gave her a big romantic kiss.

Shaun, who had come out of his room to see this, kneeled down on the floor from the second floor, watching Yomi and Tomo make out.

I want that so badly, Shaun thought.

Chiyo also saw this, and noticed the hurt look on Shaun's face.

Chiyo thought about all the kissing she had seen around her, and not only felt a bit of curiosity as to what it felt like, but also wanted to make Shaun feel better.

But….why do I want to kiss him? I mean, I only wanted to help him feel better… Chiyo thought.

She saw her opportunity fading quickly.

She changed into her adult form, and quickly turned Shaun's head, and locked lips.

At first, Shaun blushed and was a little shocked. But as it continued, he found himself enjoying it.

Osaka and Arata walked out of their room to this scene.

"Well, must be romantic this morning…" Osaka said quietly, so as not to be noticed.

"Want to join?" Arata asked. "Kasuga-san?"

Osaka quickly pulled herself right into Arata's arms, and landed a big one.

Kaorin and Kagura, who also came out at that precise time, were enjoying this little scene, and even decided to kiss each other as well.

Nyamo and Saotome, who walked out of their room, also joined in.

…

In the kitchen

…

"I somehow feel as if I'm missing something really big right now…" Joe said, as he continued to make breakfast.

…

Yomi pulled away.

"And I'll watch Koyomiko today. You deserve a break." Yomi said.

It was at this point that both Yomi and Tomo noticed that everybody else around them was making out.

Yomi, with an evil smile, looked at Tomo, who had the same look plastered on her face.

"WE SEE YOU ALL SMOOCHING!!" They both yelled.

Chiyo quickly pulled away from Shaun, both blushing deeply from embarrassment.

Kagura and Kaorin also pulled away blushing, although they both blushed more because they enjoyed it.

Osaka pulled away, as her and Arata now looked over at Yomi and Tomo.

"The kids are still sleeping, geez," Osaka scorned.

Nyamo and Saotome pulled back as well. Nyamo sighed. That had been her moment of bliss.

Yukari walked out of her room, still wiping her eyes, and she was still in her PJ's.

"C'mon, Yukari, pull yourself together here," Nyamo scorned.

Sakaki and Nekosa walked out, Nekosa still sniffing the air.

"What is that delicious smell?" Nekosa wondered.

"I have no idea, but it smells good!" Koyomiko perked up, as she jumped the last four stairs, and ran to the dining room to give her two mothers a hug.

"Morning!" Koharu yelled, as she gave Kaorin a hug around the waist.

"Morning to you too, honey" Kaorin said.

"Wait, if she's honey, she would attract bees…" Osaka said.

…

Everybody situated themselves around the table, as Joe called Sakaki and Nekosa to help him.

All three of them brought out plate after plate of delicious pancakes, while Joe also had one still-steaming pile of freshly cooked bacon.

They set the plates down in front of everybody, and Joe, Sakaki and Nekosa sat down.

"Itadaki…ma…su?" Joe noticed he was the only one saying it. Everybody else was staring at their plate.

"Um, guys?" Joe asked.

"Itadakimasu…" Everybody said, still staring down at their plate in wonder.

Joe began eating while everybody else stared at their plate.

"Um, Joe-san, did you possibly use outdated pancake mixer?" Chiyo asked.

Joe swallowed. "These were made the old-fashion way, from scratch. And no, everything was still dated."

"Then, um…what are these brown spots in our pancakes? With what looks like brown…dots in them?" Kagura asked, poking her pancake.

"You mean you guys have never had chocolate chip pancakes before?" Joe asked.

Everybody cut a piece (yes, using forks) of their pancake, and took a bite. When they realized that they were, in fact, chocolate chips, they all began wolfing down their pancakes. All except for Osaka and Arata.

"Osaka-basan, why aren't you and Arata-jisan eating?" Koyomiko asked.

"These brown dots don't look like chocolate chips to me," Arata said.

"Maybe their alien eggs, and Joe-san is their already living host." Osaka said.

"Oh, that sounds very possible!" Koharu popped up.

"Um…Koharu…" Kaorin said, sounding nervous. "You didn't…mean that…did you?"

"It could very well be true!! Osaka-sempai's words are wise!!" Koharu said defiantly.

Anyone who was eating a pancake began choking. Anyone who had been drinking their milk spit it out.

"OSAKA-SEMPAI?!" Everybody asked.

"Hai!! Osaka-sempai!" Koharu said, raising her fist into the air. "Her words speak wisdom to the world!"

Everybody stared at Koharu.

So much for our perfect child, both Kagura and Kaorin thought, tears rivering down their faces.

…

After breakfast and cleanup

…

"So, what do we do now? We've still got more than a month to go before we have to go back to Japan," Joe said.

"Well, we could tour the US… I've always wanted to do that…" Shaun said.

"That's sounds like a good idea!" Chiyo pipped in. She was back to her child form.

"OK!" Koharu said, punching her empty hand. "Tour of America, commence!!"

…

Everybody was almost ready to leave. Joe went out to check the mail once last time, and came across a letter.

"We have the tickets for the children to Japan. Let us see them one more time before you go, so that we may say goodbye.

Jamesbondkid2001 and Funakounasoul

AKA JBK2K1 and Funari"

Joe smiled. It was the least they could do for the parents who took care of the kids.

But that brought up a question in his mind.

…

Joe and Nyamo were standing in the bathroom.

"Nyamo, these kids showed up just yesterday, but already the girls are making changes to their lifestyles, and loving these kids as if they were their own. Tomo ACTUALLY matured, and Yomi suddenly took a liking to Tomo's maturity. Why is that?" Joe asked.

Nyamo smiled. He was a guy, so he would never understand. But she would try anyway…

"It's because of a mother's instinct," Nyamo said.

Joe looked deeply and utterly confused.

"You're a guy, so you wouldn't get it, but when a woman sees a child that needs her care, it's her instinct to help them out." Nyamo said, as she walked out of the bathroom.

Joe still looked deeply and utterly confused.

"Mothers….instinct?" Joe asked, as a big question mark formed over his head.

…

Shaun had also taken Chiyo into the other bathroom.

"Chiyo-san, I was just wondering. Why did you kiss me?" Shaun asked.

Chiyo blushed and looked down at the ground.

"I'm…not really sure myself." Chiyo said. "I just…felt like…I really like you and…you and I have a lot in common, since you and I are child geniuses…and…um…"

Shaun walked up, and tilted Chiyo's head up. He now kissed Chiyo, and kissed her deeply.

"Are you saying you like me?" Shaun asked after pulling back.

Chiyo blushed deeply. "Y-yes…"

Shaun smiled. "I like you, too, Chiyo-san. More than just a friend…"

Shaun and Chiyo kissed again, before leaving the bathroom, hand in hand.

…

And with that, the Azu-group was off!

First stop, Green Bay, Wisconsin, for some excellent cheese tasting

…

Tomo was wolfing down this cheese like nobody's business. Everybody already had their fill, but Tomo continued to eat.

"Mama, I don't think it's good to eat that much cheese…" Koyomiko said.

Tomo swallowed. "But I can't help it! It's the best cheese I've ever tasted!!"

"Ah, the power of cheese," Shaun said

Tomo then continued to wolf down the cheese.

"This cheese can be very addicting…." Joe said. "Until…

…

Later

…

Tomo is still in the bathroom.

"…later, when the aftereffects kick in." Joe said, leaning up against the wall closest to the door.

"Tell me!" Tomo yelled. "Why'd you have to go and make me so constipated? 'Cause right now, I'd do anything to just my bowels evacuated!!

"In the bathroom…" Yomi said.

"I sit, and I wait, and I strain, and I sweat, and I clench, and I feel the pain. Oh, should I take laxatives or have my colon irrigated?" Tomo asked.

"No, no, no…" Everybody said.

…

Up next, Washington DC

…

"Wow, he's huge!!" Koyomiko said.

They were all standing in front of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial.

"Woah…I think that's maybe one guy I couldn't beat…" Koharu said.

"You think he was that tall in real life?" Osaka asked.

"Well, he was tall, but he wasn't that big in real life," Chiyo said.

"How do you know?" Yomi asked.

"I've studied up on American history." Chiyo said.

"Hey, where are Joe and Shaun-san?" Sakaki asked, looking around for them.

…

Joe and Shaun stood outside the IRS building. Just flippin' 'em off.

"I gotta say, Walter was right, this does feel good," Joe said, giving them one finger.

"Oh, this is so awesome!" Shaun said, giving 'em two fingers at once.

…

"Aw, hell, there's two more of them. Damn Walter and Jeff Dunham." A guy in the IRS building said. "Hey, Bill, got two more of 'em!!"

…

The man named Bill came walking out. He was 275 lbs, but it was seriously all muscle.

"I'm up for some action…" Bill said, smiling evilly as if he was turned on.

Joe and Shaun put away their fingers, looking horrified. They then ran away screaming.

…

Joe and Shaun finally caught their breaths, after running away about a mile.

"Ugh, you almost think they prepared for that…" Joe said.

Shaun started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Joe asked.

"I don't know why you ran. I thought you were into that sort of thing." Shaun said, and he started laughing again.

Joe landed a fist right in his face, knocking him dizzy-eyed to the ground.

…

Author's notes: For those of you that don't get that last joke, the middle finger literally means "F--- you" aka "I wish to have sex with you"

Which means that Bill wanted to…um….yeah….

Which is why Shaun thought Joe was into that sort of thing. XD

Next Chapter: Texas, and a lost child


	58. Texas and a Lost Child

Texas, and a lost child

Note: To get these first few jokes, you need to know, Texas salsa is second only to Mexican salsa in spiciness.

Note2: **Bold**, English.

…

They now had exactly one week left in America. So they decided to stop in Texas before heading out.

It was busy in the town they were visiting, because today had some special event going on in this town.

Tomo, Yomi, and Koyomiko all sat down at the bench. And all three took a dip into this salsa labeled "Mild" and ate it.

"HOT!!" Tomo yelled, and ran for the water fountains.

Yomi and Koyomiko just sat there.

"Oh, c'mon, Tomo, your such a wuss." Yomi said "It's not that…"

Yomi now felt the effects. Her spice tolerance had been overshot.

Her glasses fogged up, and her face turned a slight red.

"HOT!!!" Yomi yelled. She now ran for the water fountains like Tomo did.

Koyomiko sighed. "Mama and Kaa-san have no spice tolerance at all" and she now dipped her salsa chip into a salsa labeled "Extra spicy" and ate it, with no problems.

Even the guy at the booth stared at this little girl, as she simply continued to eat from the jar labeled "Extra spicy"

…

"**So, 'dem daare aliens a'ducted me, then they stuck somfin' up my butt!**" The man said (holding a beer can in his right hand)

"**And then what happened?**" Osaka asked, fully entranced at what the man was saying. Arata stood next to her, also fully listening to the story.

"**Well, deh took out my spleen, then they dropped me back here on eart, and here I am, tellin' it to you"** The man said. He then took another drink of his beer.

"**I knew aliens existed!!**" Arata said, continuing to listen to what the man said.

"**Oh, just wait 'til y'all hear about dem daare clones attackin' me!**" the man said.

"**Please, let us know!!**" Osaka and Arata said.

"**Well,…"** the man began.

…

"C'mon, you two need to break up!" Yukari complained to Nyamo, who still had her arm around Saotome.

"Yukari-san, I have heard you enjoy making fun of us gym teachers," Saotome said angrily to Yukari.

"Well, of course!" Yukari said with a smile. "Who else could I possibly…"

"Oh, a bar!" Yukari said suddenly. "OH!! THE DRINKS ARE FREE!!"

Yukari zipped over to the drinking bar.

"Tonight, there's gonna be hell to pay," Nyamo said glumly to Saotome.

"Who says we need to bring her back?" Saotome asked with a smile.

"My god, I love you!" Nyamo said, as she hugged Saotome tight.

…

Kagura, Kaorin, and Koharu all walked up to the stand that Koyomiko was sitting at the stand eating "extra spicy salsa".

"Hey, what'cha doin, Koyomiko?" Koharu asked, as she jumped up on the stand seat.

"Well, Mama and Kaa-san are getting drinks, so I'm just over here, eating this…" Koyomiko said.

"Hm, looks good, Koyomiko-chan! Let's try some!" Kagura said.

Kaorin, Kagura, and Koharu, unknowing of the dangers that awaited them, took a dip of "extra spicy" salsa, and ate it.

"HOOOOT!!" All three of them screamed at once, and ran for the drinking fountains.

"You wusses!!" Koyomiko screamed.

…

Joe disappeared into the crowd, and came out by a bunch of gamers playing Mario Kart DS, so he joined in.

…

Sakaki and Nekosa were walking with each other, holding each other's hands.

Sakaki saw a kitten petting area, so she blushed and wanted to go. But she lost the feeling in her hand, and let go of Nekosa.

Nekosa also didn't realize that Sakaki had let go, because she smelled cooking fish, and also wondered off.

…

Sakaki walked up to the petting area, and every last kitten meowed at the exact same time.

Sakaki's face turned beat red at this cuteness, but quickly faded.

Sakaki began petting the kittens, even being able to hold a few of them. She blushed a lot, and even got that blissful happy look on her face.

She put the kittens down, and looked around her, but Nekosa was nowhere to be found.

"Nekosa? Nekosa?!" Sakaki yelled, running into the crowd.

…

Nekosa was tasting some fish that had been cooked to perfection.

"Hmmmm!! This is so good!" Nekosa said.

"**Huh?" **The man asked.

"**Oh, I said it was delicious!**" Nekosa said.

She finished off her fish, and then looked around. Her mother was nowhere to be seen.

"Okaasan? Okaasan?!" Nekosa yelled, looking into the crowd.

Nekosa wondered into the crowd.

…

The crowd had now become thicker, so much of the Azu-group decided to head back to the meeting place they had preset.

"So, how was it?" Nyamo asked Osaka and Arata. Nyamo's arm was still around Saotome.

"It was awesome!!" Arata responded.

"We finally met someone who's had an actual encounter with aliens and clones!!" Osaka said, making a fist.

Nyamo and Saotome sweat-dropped.

"Anyway, have you guys seen Yukari?" Nyamo asked.

"Yeah," Arata responded in a sickened tone.

"She ran into the bathroom. She said she had too much to drink, and she was apparently throwing up." Osaka said.

Nyamo sighed.

Typical Yukari, Nyamo thought.

Yomi, Tomo, and Koyomiko all came walking out of the crowd. Koyomiko was riding on Yomi's shoulders.

"Hey, guys, how are you?" Saotome asked in his usual happy tone.

"Awful" Tomo's voice was barely audible. It really sounded more like a whisper.

"I have to agree" Yomi's voice was just as bad as Tomo's.

"Kaa-san and Mama have no spice tolerance at all!" Koyomiko said. Her voice was normal.

"You mean you could actually stand that stuff?" Kagura asked. She, Kaorin, and Koharu all came walking out of the crowd as well.

"Yeah, it wasn't all that bad." Koyomiko said, smiling.

"Speak for yourself. That stuff is spicy!" Kaorin said.

"We could burn up the aliens with the 'extra spicy' stuff…" Osaka said.

"OSAKA-SEMPAI'S WORDS ARE WISE!!" Koharu yelled, pump-fisting into the air.

"Koharu, we need to work on who you root for." Kagura said, sweat-dropping.

"Definitely," Shaun said, as he came walking up from behind her with Chiyo, in her adult form.

"Watch yourself," Koharu said, cracking her knuckles.

Just then, Sakaki came running out of the crowd.

"Nekosa's missing!" Sakaki said, in a very worried and panicked tone.

The rest of the group gasped.

"We'd better find her quick!" Kagura said.

"Before she gets abducted by aliens!!" Osaka said.

"If anybody finds Nekosa, we meet back here, and call Sakaki!" Chiyo said, ignoring Osaka's comment.

"Wait, what about Joe-san?" Kaorin asked.

Sakaki's quickly pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, and tried dialing Joe's number.

All she got was his answering machine.

"Joe? It's Sakaki! Nekosa got lost in the crowd, and we need to find her! Call me back when you get this!!" Sakaki said, then she hung up.

"His answering machine?" Chiyo asked.

Sakaki nodded. She now looked more nervous than ever.

"OK, let's search for Nekosa!" Chiyo said. Everybody nodded, and ran off to search.

…

"You see anything?" Yomi asked in her whisper voice. She had Koyomiko looking for Nekosa.

"Nope, not a thing." Koyomiko said. "Nekosa!!" she called out.

"Nekosa!!" Tomo tried to scream, but it came out a whisper.

"What did you say?" Yomi whispered out.

"What?" Tomo whispered. Neither of them could hear each other in the crowd.

…

Sakaki was severely worried. Not only could she not find Nekosa, but even with her height over the other girls, she couldn't see over the heads of these Americans. Her heart began to race, as she worried more and more about Nekosa's well being.

…

Nekosa wondered through the crowd, checking the faces of all that walked by her. Nobody came even close to her mother. She began to worry, as she couldn't see anything to actually help her locate her mother. And all these people walking around continued to bump into her, as if they didn't even see her.

…

Chiyo and Shaun went around to the different booths asking people if they had seen a child with cat-like features.

"**Oh, yeah**" the fish booth guy said. "**She had one of my fish, said it was delicious. She then went into the crowd, saying something**."

"**What did she say**?" Shaun asked.

"**Well, it sounded like 'okahsa' or something like that**," The man replied.

"**Thank you,**" Shaun said, as he went over to Chiyo to explain.

…

"Do you see anything?" Kagura asked. They figured it would be better if Kaorin got up on her shoulders to see anything.

"Not anything that looks like Nekosa…" Kaorin said, worried.

…

Osaka and Arata tried looking as well, although they were looking underneath booths, and in the bathrooms.

…

Koharu had told her mothers she would be fine, and ran off to try to find Nekosa. Koharu had Kaorin's cell phone, so she could call them if she did find anything. Both mothers knew Koharu would be fine, especially since her display at Wal-mart.

But Koharu would have no such luck. Although she was at eye level with Nekosa, the gathering of people had become large, and it was hard to see through the massive amount of legs, which looked like trees to short Koharu.

…

They also looked like trees to Nekosa, as she continued to wonder through these people like someone seriously lost in the woods.

She pushed herself through two people, then looked up.

She stopped, and froze solid in fear at the object before her.

…

Sakaki was very seriously worried about Nekosa. She was only 5, and with her cat features, could be easily picked on, or worse yet, kidnapped.

Sakaki continued to try to look for Nekosa when she heard a noise that made her heart jump to her throat in fear for her daughter.

…

"BARK! BARK!" The dog barked at Nekosa.

Nekosa couldn't scream. Her cat instincts kicked in, and she whipped around, and ran. She weaved through the crowd seemingly easily, her cat instincts guiding her through it all.

Then a man, who had just taken a bite of the "extra spicy" salsa and had his spice tolerance overshot came running through the crowd.

Nekosa just barely managed to stop in time for this guy to run by.

Someone behind her bumped her hard and she fell forward and skidded slightly.

She now had tears running down her face. Her hands hurt from hitting the pavement, but what hurt even more was the fact that she now had blood coming from her knee, which had been scraped up badly.

Nekosa covered her knee with her hands, while tears ran down her face.

"I w-want my Okaasan…" Nekosa cried, her voice all shaky "My kn-knee hurts (_sniff_) really bad…"

"**Well, well, well, look who it is…**" Nekosa heard behind her.

She looked behind her to see the three guys that had picked on her at Wal-mart (The leader had a bandage wrapped around his broken middle finger, and his pointer finger). And now, the leader had Killer with him… A big Doberman Pincher, who stared at Nekosa with a hungry look in his eyes.

Nekosa turned her whole body around, and started gasping. Her eyes went wide with total fear at this dog that seemed to be staring her down.

"**Your friend got the best of us last time, but this time, it's our turn…**" the leader said. "**Killer, sick 'em.**"

The dog lunged at Nekosa. Nekosa whipped around and took off running.

"**hehe, if he gets her, that'll be number 100 for the cat kill list for Killer.**" Guy 2 said.

"**So, let's hope he gets her, then**" The leader said.

…

Nekosa just kept running, and weaving herself through the massive amount of people. She could hear the dog right behind her, continuing to chase her.

Her knee hurt, but she couldn't feel it, nor did she care. All she cared about was getting away from that dog.

Nekosa jumped through two people, who then closed up the door on the dog, and he got stuck.

But Nekosa didn't stop. She just kept running. Tears continued to stream down her face.

She wanted her mother. She wanted to get away from that dog. She felt so unsafe…so afraid…

Someone grabbed her, and held on so she could go no further. In her panicked state, she did the only thing she could. She bit down on the arm that held her, hard enough to draw blood.

She expected a reaction. Anything. A scream of pain, a punch to get her off, anything.

Instead, all she got was a pat on the head.

"That's a good girl."

Nekosa let go of the arm and looked up to see whose arm she had bitten down into.

She had bitten into Joe's arm. He had bent down to catch her as she ran by.

Nekosa's eyes watered up, as she turned around, and hugged Joe tightly, and began to cry.

"THE BIG MEAN DOG IS CHASING ME, AND HE'S GONNA EAT ME, AND I CAN'T FIND OKAASAN, AND I'M SCAAAAAARED!!" Nekosa screamed, as she buried her face in Joe's right shoulder, and continued to cry.

"It's alright, it's ok…" Joe cooed, following Sakaki's example. He began to rub Nekosa's back to try to calm her down. "I'm here, everything's fine…"

Nekosa continued to cry into Joe's shoulder as he checked his arm. The bite was deep, and he was still bleeding.

"I'm very proud of you, Nekosa," Joe said, as Nekosa started to quiet down. "You didn't see who I was, and you bit down to try and get away. If I had been a stranger, you'd have done the right thing."

"J-Joe-san?" Nekosa asked, her voice still shaky. "C-can I…call you…Otousan?"

Joe just smiled.

"Sure you can," Joe said.

"Thank you…Otousan." Nekosa closed her eyes and hugged harder, and even began to purr.

Nekosa's eyes suddenly jolted open. She could smell it in the air.

The dog was coming for her.

"O-Otousan… It's…the dog…" Nekosa said, beginning to panic.

Joe's face turned serious, and focused.

"Nekosa, I want you to do something for me," Joe said. "Just, stay still, and don't panic"

"But…the dog's gonna get me!" Nekosa said. She could smell it coming closer.

"Nekosa, he's not gonna get you. I'm here. Just trust me." Joe said.

The dog came running up to the two that were hugging. The dog let out one good bark before pouncing to land on Nekosa and push her backwards.

Nekosa watched, and closed her eyes tight as she prepared for the dog to hit.

Nekosa heard the dog yelp loudly, and also heard it hit the pavement to the right of her.

Nekosa opened her eyes. Joe had done a half-turn, and had used his right elbow to hit the dog away from her.

"**KILLER!!**" The leader went running up to his beaten dog. The two other guys followed him.

By this time, the crowd had noticed this beaten dog, and had now cleared up, so that the three guys, Joe, and Nekosa were in a circle.

…

All of those that were looking for Nekosa heard the dog yelp, and figured it had to be related to Nekosa.

The person to try to get there the fastest, of course, was Sakaki.

But one from the Azu-group was already there, and had been watching the whole scene…

…

"**You…you…YOU ARE DEAD!!" **the leader said.

Joe stood up, Nekosa wrapped in his arms.

"**Your dog threatened my child. I was just protecting her.**" Joe said, staring at these guys.

"**Like hell you were! You hit my dog for no reason!!"** The leader said, pointing an accusing finger at Joe.

"**Too bad I saw the whole thing…**" a voice said behind the three men.

The three men's eyes went wide, as they slowly turned around to see Koharu, staring at them with the look to kill.

"**You sicked a dog on my friend, who's afraid of dogs. That is an unforgivable crime, and only one punishment is suitable for that.**" Koharu said in a very serious tone. She clenched up her fists. As she did, her knuckles cracked.

The men stood there for a minute, frozen in fear. Then they all tried to run, only to be caught by their shirts by Koharu.

"**There's no use running…"** Koharu said, as she dragged them, screaming for their mommies, into the men's bathroom.

From that bathroom, we hear three men scream like little girls.

Koharu came out of the bathroom, using a paper towel to dry her hands.

"Nekosa!!" Sakaki screamed as she worked her way through the crowd.

"Okaasan!!" Nekosa screamed back, as Joe let her down. She ran up and jumped into Sakaki's opened arms, and they both hugged each other tightly.

The crowd clapped as mother and daughter were reunited.

"I'm sorry for letting you go!" Sakaki said, tears running down her face.

"Okaasan! I was so scared!" Nekosa cried.

Joe walked up to Sakaki and Nekosa.

"I got your message just as I spotted her." Joe said.

Sakaki smiled. "I'm…just so happy you found her…"

"O-Otousan?" Nekosa asked.

"Yes?" Joe asked. Sakaki looked a bit surprised at Nekosa calling Joe "Otousan"

"Can…you give Okaasan and I a hug?" Nekosa asked.

"Sure I can…" Joe said. He then proceeded to hug Sakaki and Nekosa at the same time.

"**Awwwwwwww**…." The crowd went.

Koharu pulled on Joe's shirt, grabbing his attention.

"Yes, Koharu?" Joe asked, still holding on to Sakaki and Nekosa, just in case…

"Um…I just wanted to say, I think you're a really nice guy… and… I want to thank you for protecting my friend like that." Koharu said sincerely, and bowed.

"Uh…thanks," Joe said, a little weirded out that Koharu had just thanked him.

"Friends?" Koharu asked, holding her hand out to Joe.

Joe looked at the hand, then at Koharu, then back at the hand.

Joe took the hand, and Koharu shook it.

Thank goodness, Joe thought.

Then Koharu flipped him again.

"uuuuuuuu…." The crowd went, some of them even wincing.

"Sorry, that's WAY too much fun." Koharu said, smiling.

Joe just picked himself up, and turned around.

"As long as you promise not to do anything that gets me seriously injured," Joe said with a smile.

…

The Azu-group met up with Sakaki, Nekosa, Joe, and Koharu, and they all left the festival, because they were finally ready to head back to Japan.

…

Later, three men were admitted into the Emergency room.

"So, what happened to them?" The doctor asked the nurse.

The nurse looked very seriously at the doctor. "You're never going to believe this." And she handed him a clipboard.

The doctor read it, and his eyes went wide.

"All three, Third Degree Genital Mutilation?!!" The doctor yelled in surprise.

…

Author's notes: Well, I think Koharu showed them…

Oh, yeah, (_clears throat_) No animals were harmed in the making of this fanfic.

In fact, if you want to know, Killer actually went into rehabilitation, where he was renamed Fluffy, and now lives with a bunch of children, who love him and take care of him.

And I think we all know what Genital Mutilation is… O.O

Next Chapter: Meeting the Caretakers


	59. Meeting with the Caretakers

Meeting the Caretakers

…

The next day, very early morning

…

"Hey, Koharu, wake up!" Koyomiko whispered, shaking Koharu. Nekosa was already up, standing next to Koyomiko, rubbing her eyes.

"Uhg…" Koharu moaned, before finally waking up.

"Hey, get up! There's something cool I want you to see!" Koyomiko said.

…

All three of the Azu-kids sat outside on the grass.

"Watch, right over there!" Koyomiko said, pointing in the direction of the sun coming up.

The Azu-girls watched, as the sun slowly came up.

"MAAAAAAAAAAHHH, SEQUENTINAAAAAAA…." (Think Lion King Intro)

A shoe came flying out of nowhere right at the sun, and made a noise like it hit something.

The Azu-kids turned around to see just what had thrown the object.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!!! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP, DAMMIT!!" Yukari yelled, as she slammed her window shut, and closed her curtains.

…

(Total Scene change)

…

Everybody was getting packed and getting ready to leave.

"Oh, that reminds me." Joe said. "SAKAKI!! KAGURA!! KAORIN!! YOMI!! TOMO!!" Joe yelled out.

The five women that he called out to came downstairs.

"Listen, we need to go pick up tickets for the three girls. Their…caretakers…wish to say goodbye." Joe said

…

And so the five women, the Azu-girls, and Joe all drove to see the "caretakers" of the Azu-kids. They had packed all their things in the van before going, so they could just go back to the house, and then go.

"Oh, look, there's Funari-mama's house!!" Koyomiko said, pointing to the house.

"And there's JBK-san's house!!" Nekosa said, pointing to a house directly across the street.

"So, these two lived right across the street from each other?" Kagura asked.

"Well, yeah. Why do you think Koyomiko, Nekosa, and I are such good friends?" Koharu asked.

…

Everybody piled out of the one van they had taken. Nekosa, Koharu, Sakaki, Joe, Kagura, and Kaorin all went over to JBK's house. Koyomiko, Tomo, and Yomi all went over to Funari's house.

Funari's house was a green two-story house, with a one-car garage.

JBK's house was also a green two-story house, but his was a two-car garage.

…

Tomo went, and rang the doorbell.

Funari was a woman who stood 5'3". She had dark brown hair with light brown eyes. She wore a blank black shirt with jeans and skater shoes.

"Funari-mama!!" Koyomiko yelled happily, and gave her a big hug around the waist.

"_Hola, Koyomiko-chan_!!" Funari said, as she half hugged her back. _"¿Cómo estás?"_

"_Yo_ e_stoy bien_!" Koyomiko responded.

"Eh? Did you catch any of that?" Tomo asked Yomi.

"It's Spanish! Funari-mama knows English, Spanish, and Japanese!!" Koyomiko said happily. "And she taught them all to me!!"

"So, would you like to come in?" Funari asked.

"_Sí! Vamos! Vamos!"_ Koyomiko said. She ran inside past Funari, who sidestepped to let her in.

"Sure," Yomi responded in her mature tone.

"Man, Spanish, huh? I had a hard enough time learning English…" Tomo said.

"Shh!!" Yomi hissed, as she and Tomo walked in.

"FUNARI BREAKS WIND!!" JBK yelled from across the street.

Funari popped a vein in her head, as Funari quickly raised her hand in JBK's direction, sending him flying with her wind control.

…

Rewind a few minutes back

…

Joe rang the doorbell to JBK's house.

"Huh, for taking care of a cat child, and a girl who beats up on guys, his house seems…normal." Kagura said, looking around at his house.

"Yeah, JBK-san took good care of us!" Nekosa said.

The door opened.

A full-grown female tiger and a full-grown female lion came walking out of the door, growling slightly.

Joe, Kagura, Kaorin, and Sakaki all backed up slowly, looking very afraid.

"I said normal, didn't I?" Kagura said nervously.

"Yukima!" Koharu said, hugging the lion.

"Empress!" Nekosa said, hugging the tiger.

"Hey, guys!" JBK said walking out of his house.

"JBK-san!!" Koharu and Nekosa said, as they both ran up to give him a hug around the waist.

JBK stood a good 6'5"; he had light green hair and golden eyes. He was wearing pants and a T-shirt with nothing on it.

"Would you guys like to come in?" JBK asked.

"Sure!" Nekosa and Koharu said, as they ran in.

The rest of the group watched the tiger and lion, who stared back at them.

"And don't worry about them, they're harmless. Aren't you, girls?" JBK said

The two jungle cats looked up at him, and roared. They then went into the house.

"Um…I'm still a little nervous about this…" Kagura said, shaking.

"Don't worry about it. If they let the kids hug them, what makes you think they're going to do anything to you?" JBK asked.

"Good point," Kaorin said. This point seemed to have calmed her down.

"Oh, hold on, I have to do this…" JBK said, smiling evilly.

"FUNARI BREAKS WIND!!" he yelled.

He was suddenly lifted up into the air, and dropped. He hit the ground with an "oomph!"

"Holy crap!!! What was that?" Joe asked.

"hehe…That was Funakounasoul, or Funari, as she prefers to be called." JBK said, standing up and brushing himself off. He was wearing a big smile.

"Ah, the adopted mother of Koyomiko. So, she did that?" Kagura asked, looking back at Funari's house, as she walked in.

"Yeah, she controls wind elements, and knows a few healing things too." JBK said.

"Controls wind?..." Joe asked. He then snickered. "Now I get, breaks wind…"

"Right. And she hates it when I do that." JBK said, trying hard to hold back a laugh. "So, would you guys like to come in?"

Kagura, Kaorin, Sakaki, and Joe now walked into JBK's house, and he closed the door.

…

"So, they got rid of these kids because they considered them 'failures'?" Joe said, stunned at what he was hearing.

Sakaki had gone with Nekosa to see her room. Koharu had taken Kaorin to her room. This left Joe and Kagura to talk with JBK. Empress and Yukima were lying over on what appeared to be their makeshift bed.

"Yes, they did. And what's worse, is that I've heard that they are getting closer to creating the perfect weapon…" JBK said.

"Dammit!!" Kagura said, pounding her fist on the table in anger. "To do something so…creul…and heartless…is just…so…so…"

"I know how you feel, but Funari and I have been trying to slow down, even stop their operations, but so far, nothing has succeeded." JBK said.

"SO WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING, HUH?!! IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE YOU'VE BEEN DOING NOTHING!!!!" Kagura yelled.

"Kagura-san, it's not his fault…" Joe said, trying to calm Kagura down.

"YES IT IS. IF HE WERE DOING SOMETHING, THIS COMPANY WOULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED LONG AGO!!!!" Kagura continued to yell in anger.

JBK stood up, hulking over Kagura. Kagura wasn't afraid of this guy.

"SO, YOU WANNA GO?!! FINE, I'LL TAKE Y-" Kagura was hit in the forehead by the palm of JBK's hand.

Joe could've swore he saw (litteraly) sparks fly between JBK's hand and Kagura's head.

Kagura fell back on the couch, completely unconscious.

JBK then touched her bare leg with his pointer finger. Joe swore he saw sparks fly again from JBK's finger, as Kagura woke up.

"Ugh…what happened?" Kagura asked, holding her head as she got up.

JBK held up his open hand, as Joe and Kagura saw an electric ball in his hand.

"Funari controls the wind, I control electricity," JBK said, as he put the electric ball away. "That's how we've been fighting, as well as through the courts, but they don't help."

"I kinda figured," Joe said bluntly. "Any company with enough money can get away with petty stuff like that."

JBK nodded his head, as he sat back down.

"But, you should consider your kids lucky." JBK said, looking down at the table. "Most of the time, failures are…" he clenched up his fist, and sparks flew all around it. "…disposed of."

Kagura gasped. Joe felt like someone had just hit him in the face.

"Well, sometimes, it's a good thing…" JBK said, rubbing the back of his head with one hand.

"HOW CAN THAT BE A GOOD THING?!!" Kagura yelled out in anger.

JBK stared at her, and said two words:

"Ayumu Mihama"

Kagura and Joe sat there for a minute, and then both of them shivered hard.

"So, how does this Genetic Fusion thing work?" Joe asked.

"It's simple. They add the DNA of two subjects together. That forms a child, about 6-8 months birth life. Which means it's no longer in need of a mother's breast milk." JBK responded.

"So, what about this…" Joe shivered as he said the name, "Ayumu Mihama?"

"Well, they thought that maybe this one could go far further in life, so they raised it. Funari and I actually encountered this thing on one of our runs. Osaka, with Chiyo eyes, and bright orange hair. This thing scared the crap outta both of us." JBK said, and even he shivered.

"So…what happened to it?" Joe asked.

"Well, we found out later that it was disposed of." JBK said, then he added "Although, even though we were glad it was gone, we both felt hurt deep down, as if this thing had life, and it was just taken away, like it was an object to be owned."

"I know how you feel," Kagura said.

"Natsuko-mama!!" Koharu said, as she came running down to hug Kagura. "You didn't see my room!"

"That's OK, kiddo, your Kaori-kaa-san will tell me about it later." Kagura said, hugging Koharu.

Nekosa came back downstairs with Sakaki, who immediately went over by Joe and hugged him.

"Well, I suppose…" JBK said. He got up, went over to his computer desk, opened up one of the cupboards, and pulled out two folders.

"These are your tickets for Japan, as well as everything you'll need for the kids, birth certificates, etc." JBK said.

"What about Koyomiko?" Joe asked.

"Her stuff is in there, but…" JBK looked out the window, as if something was troubling him "Funari has her ticket, and…has to give it to Yomi or Tomo."

"But…JBK-san, what about you?" Nekosa asked.

Koharu also looked over at JBK.

JBK turned back and smiled.

"Sorry, kiddo's, but I think your 'Auntie Funari' is going to need me more than anything now." JBK said.

Koharu and Nekosa both got tears in their eyes, as they ran over and hugged JBK.

"I'll miss you two," JBK said. He even had a tear run down his face.

"We'll miss you, too," Nekosa said. Both her and Koharu had tears running down their faces.

They pulled out of the hug.

"Now, now scratching hard," he said to Nekosa

"And you don't let any of those mean boys pick on either of your mothers!" he said to Koharu.

They both dried their tears.

"You betcha!" Koharu said.

Nekosa nodded.

Koharu and Nekosa gave him one last hug.

"Be good, you two," JBK said, letting another tear run down his face.

"We will…" Koharu and Nekosa said, as they all left.

Joe stopped before he left the house.

"Did you really teach Koharu how to remove male private parts?" Joe asked.

"Uh-huh. Nifty little technique, huh?" JBK said with a smile.

Joe just shivered.

…

Funari's house

…

"So, you adopted her from a company?" Yomi asked.

"Yes, I did." Funari said.

She and Yomi were sitting around a table, with some tea that Funari had made. Koyomiko had taken Tomo to her room to show Tomo what her room looked like.

"But it was a company that was looking at Genetic Fusion as a way to create the perfect human beings and then turn them into weapons. It was all made for war…such a pitiful excuse…" Funari said. She looked serious, and slightly angry. "Anyway, all they did was study this and study that. All of this was done in order to prepare for the real experiment. Then the day finally came...but, alas, the kids were considered 'failures' by their eyes…just because they were 'too human,' and nobody wanted that."

"Got it." Yomi responded.

She sounds like something of a poet, Yomi thought.

Funari clenched up her fists in anger.

Yomi got nervous.

"Both JBK and I have been dutifully fighting this company for years now, both physically and lawfully. And the government continues to side with the company like a faithful dog. Even now…they just keep throwing money at them!" Funari said angrily.

Funari's hair started to rise slightly, and she had a small green aura surround her. Yomi could feel wind running throughout the room.

"They are getting closer and closer to creating the perfect weapon! And when they do, we all know that multiple people will pay to have their own weapon, just to wage wars!!! All those stupid, pointless wars!!!" Funari yelled angrily.

Yomi was just stunned. The wind was severely blowing in the house, despite no doors or windows being opened. Funari's hair began to blow wildly, and the green aura picked up in color and intenseness.

"Those…those…_CHIIIIINNNNN…_!!" Funari cursed out.

"Funari-mama!!" Koyomiko called out, as she came down the stairs.

All at once, the wind died down, and then stopped, and Funari's hair returned to normal.

"Ah, Koyomiko!" Funari said happily.

Koyomiko came up and gave Funari another hug.

"So, what'd I miss?" Tomo asked, as she sat down next to Yomi.

"Um…I'll tell you later." Yomi said nervously, not wanting the wind to kick up again.

""Anyway…On to business…" Funari said sadly. She got up and walked over to her desk (which all had locked drawers), unlocked a drawer, and opened it up, and pulled out a packet. She then closed the drawer, and re-locked it.

"Here's the ticket for Koyomiko." Funari said, handing the packet to Yomi.

"What? Ticket? For where?" Koyomiko asked.

"You're going over to Japan with your Mama and Kaa-san." Funari said, forcing a smile.

"But…what about you?" Koyomiko asked.

This was the hardest for Funari. "I…can't go with you. My place is here. I need to…continue doing my work."

Koyomiko's eyes watered up. She hugged Funari tightly, as a few tears ran down her face. Funari hugged back, and even had a few tears fall down her face herself.

Yomi and Tomo remained silent. Even Tomo just felt the sadness run through the room.

"Funari-mama? Could you…do one more thing for me, before I go? I…want to feel that orange wind once last time… It's so warm and nice." Koyomiko said, as she pulled away from Funari.

"Sure, I can." Funari said, wiping the tears away from her face. She then got on her knees on the couch, and closed her eyes, as she began to glow green. She held her hand up to Koyomiko.

An orange wind came out of Funari's hand, and covered Koyomiko. Koyomiko closed her eyes.

Even Tomo and Yomi could feel it, even though they weren't covered. Just a warm feeling deep inside, like everything would be OK.

Koyomiko loved this orange wind. She could remember the first time she felt it…

…

Flashback

…

"Funari-mama!!" Koyomiko screamed. She was still only three at the time.

"What?! What happened?!" Funari asked, as she came running out.

Koyomiko uncovered her knee to reveal a big scrape on her knee, and it was bleeding.

"It h-hurts…" Koyomiko said, on the verge of tears.

"Oh, that's alright. Funari-mama will make it all better." Funari closed her eyes, and began glowing green as she put her open hand out.

Koyomiko felt all warm inside. Her scrape stopped hurting. And she even watched it as it slowly heal, and eventually just go away.

Funari opened her eyes.

"Now, you be careful from now on, OK?" Funari said with a closed-eyed smile.

"OK!" Koyomiko said, as she ran off to go play with Nekosa and Koharu.

…

End Flashback

…

The orange wind stopped, as if almost by force. Funari felt she had to stop then, or she may never be able to let Koyomiko go.

"I'll…miss you." Funari said, on the verge of tears again. ""_Te quiero mucho, Koyomiko."_

""_Yo te quiero también, Funari-mama."_ Koyomiko said sadly, as she hugged Funari again, tighter this time.

"I'll come visit you when I come back to America someday" Koyomiko said.

"Thank you…" Funari said.

Tomo and Yomi stood up, and bowed.

"We deeply thank you for taking care of our child," Tomo said, with a hint of seriousness and sorrow in her words.

"And please, let us know if there's anything you need." Yomi said.

"Thank you," Funari said, as she wiped away her tears.

Koyomiko went over to Yomi, and raised her arms as if she wanted to be picked up.

Yomi picked up Koyomiko, and hugged her tightly.

And Yomi and Tomo were walking out, Funari stopped Tomo.

"And, please, take good care of her" Funari said.

"Oh, don't worry, I will," Tomo said, displaying a big 'wildcat' smile.

"You'd better, because if I find out…" the wind started to pick up again. "…that anything…ANYTHING…has happened to her…I'll…I'll…_ Voy a desmembrar tus brazos y tus piernas y les voy a dar a mis mascotas para la cena_!!" Funari said angrily.

"I don't know what that means, but I got it…" Tomo said, looking very afraid.

Funari let Tomo go, and she settled herself down, as she watched Koyomiko, still in Yomi's arms, wave goodbye.

Funari had another tear run down her face as she waved goodbye as well.

As everybody filed into the van, Koyomiko took a window seat, and continued to wave goodbye to Funari, and Funari continued to wave goodbye as well as the van drove off.

"Goodbye, Koyomiko." Funari said, as another few tears ran down her face "I'll miss you."

…

Author's Notes: Special thanks to Funakounasoul for letting me borrow her, and fixing up all the Spanish speaking parts, as well as fixing up the explanation to Yomi to make it sound more poetic (like herself)

Funari: You also had something in there that ruined the sad moment!! I had to fix that, too!!

JBK: Yeah, well, we're just gonna exclude that…

Funari: But…besides that one thing, you actually did write the sad part pretty well.

JBK: (_smiles_) Thanks

Funari: Oh, and that last Spanish line in the story, when I threaten Tomo, means "I will dismember your arms and legs and feed them to my pets for dinner!"

JBK: (_smiling evilly_) hehe…nice

Next Chapter: The Final Farewell, End American Saga


	60. The Final Farewell, End American Saga

The Final Farewell, End American Saga

Note:** Bold, English**

…

The mood was quiet and sad for a good portion of the ride. The kids were going to miss their caretakers, who had cared for them

Joe had no one in the passenger seat. Sakaki had taken a seat next to Nekosa in the back, who was hugging her mother, but not purring in the slightest bit.

Even Tomo, energetic Tomo, was utterly silent. Koyomiko had curled up with her, while Yomi stared out the window, trying to figure out a way to make Koyomiko feel better.

Koharu sat hugging Kaorin, while Kagura tried rubbing her back.

All in all, the mood in the van was a sad and depressing one.

Joe sighed. "OK, I seriously can't take it anymore." He then took one CD out of a secret compartment in the front, and popped it in.

"Joe, I really don't think music is a good idea right now…" Sakaki said, obviously feeling Nekosa's pain.

"Definitely not," Yomi said.

Joe ignored the two, and decided to give a little speech. "Listen, kids, do you really think your caretakers would want to see you like this? No, they wouldn't. I know you're going to miss them, and they are going to miss you. But look at it this way. They took care of you so you could one day meet your real parents. And now you have. Sure, you guys are going to feel the slight pain of missing them, missing the parts you enjoyed about them. But now you guys are with your real parents, you guys are going to be making so many more fun memories together. And I know your caretakers couldn't be any happier than to see you guys in a happy mood, too. And I think it's about time we lightened up the mood in here."

"So, what song are you going to play, then?" Kagura asked.

"It's a song that made the Peach Moon Institute famous, and, allowed them to buy giant robots and the like." And as an afterthought, he added. " allegedly."

Joe started up the music, which everybody in the vehicle seemed to recognize.

"Hey, I know this song, it's one JBK-san used to play. It was his second most favorite Japanese song, because it sounds so energetic and happy." Nekosa said, smiling a little.

"I…love this song." Koharu said, also smiling a little.

"…and I love to sing this song too." Koyomiko added, now smiling a little herself.

"UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU, MAHO!!!" The song went.

…

The rest of the way home, everybody sang along to "Roulette Roulette, Kurumi version" (copyright Pani Poni Dash)

…

"sora moooooo hoshi moooooo RUUREEEEETTO SHIIIIIATAAAAAAAAAA!!...aré ?" The song, as well as everybody in the van, finished.

Everybody took a big breath. Everything felt better inside.

"Thanks, otousan…that really made me feel better." Nekosa said, now smiling.

Koharu just nodded. It really did help.

Even Koyomiko, who only knew JBK as 'Funari-mama's next door neighbor', still loved that song.

Joe just smiled. "I kind of figured it would." That song always picked him up when he was down. "Oh, by the way, you said that song was JBK-san's second favorite Japanese song. What was his first?"

"He had no idea why, but it was 'sora mimi cake'." Koharu said, smiling.

Joe rounded the corner to the house, and saw two vehicles he only recognized as NASCAR vehicles.

"What in the world…?" Joe asked, as he stopped the vehicle. Everybody got out and went over to the vehicles.

"What is it, Joe-san?" Koyomiko asked.

"These are NASCAR vehicles. I wonder who #24 and who #8 are?" Joe said, looking closely at the red #8 vehicle.

Yomi looked around, and noticed something was missing.

"Hey, Joe-san, where's the other van?" Yomi asked.

No sooner did she ask than the other van came screaming around the corner, squealing its tires. The van went zooming by the house, did a 180-turn at top speed (squealing its tires once more), and then spinning around until finally stopping perfectly in front of the #8 car, facing the same way the #8 car was.

Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. got out of the vehicle, and then fell to the ground.

"**This lady's a madwoman**!" Gordon said to Earnhardt.

"**NASCAR'S got nothin' on 'er!!"** Earnhardt said back.

"**Let's get outta here before she decides to take us again**!!" Gordon said.

Gordon and Earnhardt got into their respective vehicles, and squealed the tires as they gassed as fast as they could out of there.

"What was that?" Tomo asked.

The driver's side door opened up, and out popped…

"I should've known…" Joe said, sweat-dropping. "Yukari…"

"They said I'd be a good NASCAR driver! Isn't that great?" Yukari asked, smiling.

"I think there would be too many yellow flags if you were in NASCAR, Yukari…" Joe said, still maintaining the sweat-drop.

"Finally! Here I thought you'd never come back, Yukari!!" Shaun yelled from the doorway. The rest of the group followed behind Shaun, all toting bags.

The rest of the group got loaded up into the van Yukari had just been driving, and got in.

"Keys." Shaun said to Yukari, holding out his hand.

Yukari gave him a 'five'.

Shaun's eyes flared up.

"NOW!" he said bluntly.

"Oh, fine! Ruin my fun, geez…" Yukari said, obviously disappointed.

Shaun got into the vehicle, and Yukari got in as well.

Joe looked back at the house that had taken them in for the past month. He saw Chiyo, child form, standing there.

Chiyo stared at the house, before bowing.

"Thank you for taking good care of us." Chiyo said.

She then straightened back up, and got into Shaun's vehicle, passenger seat.

…

At the Airport

…

"What do you mean, you can't come?" Chiyo (adult form) asked Shaun. Chiyo was seriously heartbroken at this.

"I can't go alone until I'm 18. It's the law." Shaun said. He also sounded disappointed.

"But…what about…?" Chiyo couldn't finish. Tears were welling up in her eyes.

"Don't worry about it, Chiyo-san. I'll come to Japan when I hit 18. Until then, I'll send letters." Shaun said, placing one hand on Chiyo's shoulder.

Chiyo was silent for a minute, before looking back at Shaun.

"Every day?" Chiyo asked.

"Postage is a killer, but I promise Wednesday and Saturday of every week until I come." Shaun said, smiling.

"When is your birthday?" Chiyo asked.

"October 2nd." Shaun said.

Chiyo smiled slightly.

"Then…I'll wait for that day to come. And…I'll wait for you at the airport on the day of your birthday." Chiyo said heartfully.

Shaun smiled happily.

"I…love you, Chiyo-san" Shaun said.

"I…love you too, and I'll miss us being apart" Chiyo said, almost on the verge of tears.

Shaun leaned in, and gave Chiyo a very heartfelt kiss.

Tomo went right up to the kissing couple, wearing another evil Tomo smile.

"Chiyo's got a boyfriend, that she'll never see again!" Tomo taunted.

"DOUBLE IRRITATION PUNCH!!" Both Chiyo and Shaun yelled, as they hit Tomo square in the face.

Tomo fell backwards, and landed hard on the ground. Her eyes were dizzy-spinning.

"Ow…" Tomo moaned.

Chiyo sighed. "Well, I've got to go."

"And, hey, don't lose either side of you while I'm not there, OK?" Shaun said, smiling.

Chiyo nodded her head, and walked off to get on the plane.

Tomo got up slowly, holding her face.

"That…really hurt…" Tomo said.

"You deserved it. Now get on that plane!" Shaun said, pointing in the direction of the plane.

Tomo went and got on.

…

On the airplane

…

The three kids got front row seats in the center. Everybody else was on the plane in the exact same position they were the first time. However, this time, Rebecca and Himeko were not on the plane, as well as (strangely) Kimura and his wife.

"Wow, this is my first time on an airplane!" Koyomiko said, thoroughly excited.

"I can't wait 'til it takes off!" Koharu said.

"W-will we be alright, Okaasan?" Nekosa asked nervously.

"Of course we will. There's nothing to be afraid of." Sakaki said, smiling at her daughter.

Chiyo sighed. "Why do I feel like this? Like…like I'm leaving a piece of my heart behind?"

"Because you're in love, Chiyo-chan." Joe said. "In love with someone who loves you back. Just know that in a few months, you'll be rejoined, and your heart will be complete again."

Chiyo smiled at Joe. "Thanks, Joe-san"

"No problem, Chiyo, that's what friends are for." Joe said, smiling back.

Chiyo still felt like her heart was torn in two, but she still smiled. At least they weren't separated forever, and she would be able to see Shaun again…

…

Back at the airport

…

Shaun watched the plane for as long as he could see it. When it disappeared into the clouds, he sighed heavily.

"I sure am gonna miss her." Shaun said sadly.

Shaun walked out of the building, thinking about what he could write in his letter (since today was Sunday), when a van suddenly pulled up right next to him, and stopped. The side door slammed open to reveal a short blonde-haired girl with blue eyes, who looked very angry.

"Ah, imouto-san! (Little sister)" Shaun said with a smile.

Rebecca Miyamoto jumped out of the van, jumped up, grabbed Shaun's collar, and pulled him down to eye level.

"I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR OVER A MONTH FOR YOU!! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Rebecca screamed.

"I'm sorry. I had friends here. Besides, I thought I left you plenty of stuff to do at mother's house…" Shaun said, slightly fearful of his younger sister.

"You did. And I would have been entertained…" Rebecca responded. "IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR THAT!!!" Rebecca yelled, as she pointed inside the van.

Shaun looked inside the van to see a girl with blue hair, and one small lock of hair sticking straight up in the middle of her forehead.

"MAHO!! Becky's Onii-san!! Gonna see Becky's Onii-san!!" Himeko said happily from the seat in the back of the van.

"**Hi, son, how are you?**" Shaun's mother asked from the driver's seat.

"**Doin' OK, ma**." Shaun responded.

"I am about to make your life a living hell, just like you did to me for the past month!!" Rebecca growled angrily at Shaun, before pulling him into the van.

…

Back in the airplane

…

Joe sighed happily as he looked out the window.

"What is it, Joe?" Sakaki asked.

"To think, I'm going to be married soon. I'm so happy! I can't wait!" Joe said.

"Uh…aren't you…the slightest bit nervous?" Sakaki asked nervously.

Joe turned towards Sakaki.

"You can say that again!! I've got as many butterflies as I had when proposing to you!!" Joe said, though he said it happily and with energy.

Joe settled down at that point, and held on to Sakaki's hand.

"But…I know that with you, everything's going to be just fine." Joe said.

Sakaki blushed.

He can be so…romantic at times, Sakaki thought.

Joe and Sakaki then leaned into each other and shared a heartfelt kiss.

Tomo, however, seized the opportunity.

"That's just what he says, Sakaki-san, but remember, he enjoy's male company…" Tomo said, wearing an evil smile.

Right in the middle of the kiss, Sakaki snickered and had to pull away.

"I'm sorry…" Sakaki said, smiling big, and trying to hold back from laughing.

"What does she mean by that, Kaa-san?" Koyomiko asked.

Yomi had to hold back from laughing too. "I'll tell you when you're older." Yomi said.

"When we land, that girl is dead…" Joe growled, clenching up his fist.

…

Author's Notes:

JBK: And that's where I finally end the American Saga!!

(_Shaun bursts in, obviously angry_)

Shaun: THIS IS BULLCRAP!!

JBK: (_sighs_) What is it, Shaun?

Shaun: I should be going over to Japan with Chiyo!! Not staying in America!!

JBK: I'm sorry, it couldn't be helped. Besides, we need a love separation plot in here. Makes for good reading.

Shaun: AND I STILL SAY THAT'S A LOAD'A CRAP!! THAT'S IT!! YOU DROVE ME OVER THE EDGE!!! I QUIT!!!!

JBK: You can't quit (_holds up paper with writing on it_) you're under contract until this fic is over.

Shaun: (_eye twitches, and then he leaves_) (_grumbles_) I'm so firing my agent when this is over…

So anyway ,I have changed my profile to include Character Profiles for my fic, including Changes for the Azu-girls, as well as the new Major Characters!!

The next saga is called the "Marriage Saga" We see many of the Azu-girls get married, as well as some of them propose to their lovers, and I will note here that each proposal will be different from Joe and Sakaki's, so things stay a little mixed up. ;)

But while you wait, why don't you read Hallwings fanfiction "Chitose's Vacation". Only Anime-Rebirth and I have actually reviewed it, so please read and review it!!

(Link at the very top of my profile)

Thanks, and see you guys soon!!

JBK2K1


	61. Return to Japan, begin Marriage Saga

Return to Japan, Begin Marriage Saga

Note: Chiyo's in Adult form to begin.

…

"Ah, it's so good to finally be back home!" Tomo said, stretching out in airport.

"Yeah, it's so nice to be back in Japan." Joe said, smiling to himself.

Everybody was quiet for a moment, just enjoying the fact they were back home.

"Well, I suppose, we should all get going. We've got stuff to do…" Chiyo said, smiling.

Joe could already tell it was a forced smile. Chiyo had actually fallen in love, and having to leave her love behind was already taking effect on her.

"But, we will all see each other again, right?" Koyomiko asked.

"You bet! Though we may have a lot of stuff to do, once we get settled down, we'll definitely be seeing each other again!" Joe said, smiling happily.

"OK, then, see you guys later!" Koyomiko said to Nekosa and Koharu.

"See you later!" Koharu said.

"Bye!" Nekosa said, waving.

And so, each Azu-kid left with their respective parents.

This left Osaka, Arata, and Chiyo standing at the airport.

Osaka noticed that her best friend, Chiyo, wasn't looking too happy.

"Chiyo-chan, would you like Arata and I to stop by later?" Osaka asked.

"No, that's OK. Uh, I've gotta get going, see you guys later…" Chiyo said in a depressed tone, walking away.

Osaka watched her depressed friend walk away.

"I've…never seen her so depressed like that…" Osaka said to Arata.

"Hey, where are the teachers?" Arata asked, looking around.

…

Back on the plane

…

"C'mon, Yukari, the plane's landed!" Nyamo said, shaking the now asleep Yukari.

"Go away, Nyamo, I'm tryin' to sleep!" Yukari said without opening her eyes, and turning onto her side.

Nyamo sighed, and then she looked up, outside the window.

"Hey, Yukari, isn't that your 360 I see Tomo with?" Nyamo said.

Nyamo turned around, expecting an angry looking Yukari. What she saw was…nothing.

"Huh?!" Nyamo asked in surprise.

"Don't worry about it. She's off the plane. Let's go back to your place and lock the door." Saotome said with a smile.

"I'm with you on this one…" Nyamo said, sighing heavily at Yukari's usual antics.

…

Nyamo and Saotome went over to Nyamo's house, where Nyamo immediately locked the door, and she and Saotome lay down on her bed for some more lovin'.

…

Osaka and Arata went to Osaka's house, where they both curled up under the kotatsu, and immediately fell asleep.

…

Tomo and Yomi were walking home. Yomi had hold of Koyomiko's hand, while Koyomiko carried her luggage. Tomo was carrying the luggage, and rubbing her left shoulder, which had taken a severe beating from Yukari.

"I wonder why Yukari thought I took her 360?" Tomo asked Yomi.

"Probably because you do it all the time…" Yomi responded.

They reached Yomi's house, and opened the door. Koyomiko went running in, and dropped her luggage on the ground.

"Wow…this place is pretty small…" Koyomiko said, looking around.

"That's because you're used to American homes. Don't worry, you'll get used to the small space." Yomi responded as she walked in.

Tomo dropped her luggage on the floor, and looked over at Yomi.

"Say, Yomi, mind if I move in with you?" Tomo asked in a serious tone.

"HUH?!" Yomi looked at her like she had gone crazy.

"Do you….mind….if I….move in…..with you?" Tomo said slowly, to make sure Yomi got it.

"I got it, but…why would you want to move in with me?!" Yomi asked to the point of almost yelling.

"Well, because…" Tomo got that wildcat smile on her face. "We'll be raising a kid together, and I figure we should be in the same house."

This got Koyomiko's attention, who had been in the kitchen, checking it out. Koyomiko walked back out.

Tomo sighed, and put away the wildcat smile when she saw Yomi not bending in.

"Besides…" Tomo said sadly. "I…would feel…lonely…all there by myself…"

Yomi took this in for a minute.

"He really hurt you that badly, huh?" Yomi said.

A tear ran down Tomo's face. Tomo nodded slowly.

Yomi went up and gave a comforting hug to Tomo.

"Sure, you can stay" Yomi said full-heartedly.

Tomo, unaware of why she did it, hugged Yomi back.

"Thanks," Tomo said emotionally. Another tear ran down her face.

Koyomiko went running up to both of her mothers, and gave them a hug around their legs.

…

Koharu was walking home with Kagura and Kaorin.

"So, what are we going to do when we get home?" Koharu asked her mothers.

"Well, first up, we're going to unpack, then we'll figure out something from there…" Kaorin said.

Kagura had moved in with Kaorin since Kagura's apartment was virtually smashed to bits by Heiko.

They opened up the door to Kaorin's house, and they all dropped their luggage on the floor, and began unpacking.

…

Yukari immediately went home, plugged in her 360 (which had still been waiting in luggage at the airport) to continue from where she left off.

"Damn it… only about 1 month left before school…gotta kick Covenant butt before school starts…" she mumbled to herself.

The 360 started up, and then immediately gave her the 'red ring of death'.

"SON OF A B&#!"

…

Chiyo made it all the way home, still sighing heavily as she walked in the door, and was greeted by Tadaichi-san.

"Hey, Tadaichi-san." Chiyo said half-heartedly, before going upstairs.

She dropped her luggage on the floor, then laid down on her bed, and stared up at the ceiling. She had never felt this way before, and it felt, to say the least, kind of depressing.

Tadaichi came running up, jumped up on Chiyo's bed, and laid down right next to her. Tadaichi looked at her, wagging his tail, and expecting some attention. The dog could sense poor Chiyo was depressed, and was trying to cheer her up.

"Why must life be so unfair?" Chiyo asked Tadaichi. "I mean, I went through college at an advanced age, and so did he. You'd think that the law could make an exception for us…"

Chiyo turned on her side and started petting Tadaichi subconsciously. All she could think about was Shaun, and that first kiss they had both shared.

Chiyo sighed again. It really felt like a part of her soul had been left behind in America.

Chiyo's cell phone went off, and she answered it.

"Hello?" Chiyo asked. Her depression really showed in her greeting.

"Hey, Chiyo, jump on your computer!" Joe said. He sounded excited.

Chiyo slowly got up, and turned on her computer.

"OK, I'm on…" Chiyo said.

"Now, open up Yahoo! Instant Messenger…" Joe said excitedly.

Chiyo started up YIM, and noticed a friend request was pending for her. The name was GameCreator64.

Chiyo added the friend to her list, and the Instant Message box immediately popped up.

GameCreator64: Hi, there, Chiyo.

Chiyo almost dropped her cell phone in surprise. She placed the cell phone between her ear and shoulder, and then began to type.

CMihama02: Shaun?

GameCreator64: The one and only

A big smile formed on Chiyo's face.

"He called me up, and asked me to call you to get you on YIM." Joe said into his cell phone.

"Thank you….so much, Joe-san." Chiyo said happily into her cell phone.

"No problem. I'll hang up on you so you two can talk. Talk to you later, Chiyo-chan!" Joe said.

"Talk to you later," Chiyo said, and then she hung up, and began typing.

…

Joe hung up his cell phone, and placed it in his pocket. He then picked up the luggage he had been carrying, and he and Sakaki continued to walk home.

"So, she was happy?" Sakaki asked in her cool tone. She was giving a piggyback ride to Nekosa.

"Immensely" Je responded with a smile.

"That's good. I'd hate to see Chiyo depressed for too long…" Sakaki responded.

"Okaasan?" Nekosa said randomly. "I love you." Nekosa started rubbing her cheek against Sakaki's cheek, and began purring.

Sakaki blushed at the absolute cuteness her daughter was showing.

Joe and Sakaki passed a familiar house known only to them, and they both stopped.

"Okaasan? Otousan?" Nekosa asked. She looked at Sakaki's face, and then at Joe's. Both of them had the look of pure terror on their face.

Sitting on the all-too-familiar wall was a little gray cat, which was staring back at them, smiling.

A big bear-trap smile.

…

Author's notes: hehe…I left you with a cliffhanger for this chapter.

And just when you thought Kamineko was gone, he comes back to show up at the beginning of this saga.

Many thanks to Ben Franklin and his invention of Daylight Savings Time. With that extra hour of typing, I finally finished this saga.

Oh, and for those of you that don't know (I only know because of the returns I've been hearing about) but the 'red ring of death' on the Xbox 360 is when your 360 gains the functionality of a house plant, and becomes completely useless. The power button, rather than glowing its usual color (green) glows an evil red.

Next Chapter: Nekosa's First Day


	62. Nekosa's First Day

Nekosa's First Day

Nekosa's First Day

Note: All the Azu-kids will get their own focus chapter, along with their parents being in the focus chapter with them.

…

Sakaki and Joe stood frozen, staring at Kamineko, who started back at them, grinning his big bear-trap grin.

Kamineko stood up, as his fur changed from gray to yellow.

Joe dropped the luggage, and he and Sakaki slowly started backing up; as Kamineko jumped down from the wall, his fur now completely yellow, and his eyes completely green.

"I…I th-thought he was dead!" Joe said, slowly stepping back.

Nekosa watched this cat in amazement, simply because it scared her mother and father so much.

"Why are you scared of that cat, Okaasan?" Nekosa asked.

Sakaki couldn't answer. She flashed back to that moment when Kamineko attacked her, and caused those big scratches across her face.

Kamineko readied to pounce.

"Koibitoneko!" A girl called out.

Kamineko instantly lost his yellow fur, and was again a gray cat. He ran off and jumped into a girl's open arms.

Joe and Sakaki's eyes followed Kamineko all the way into the girl's arms.

"That girl…looks familiar…" Sakaki said, still slightly stunned.

Indeed she did, but only to Sakaki. The girl had light brown hair, tied into long braids that ran all the way down.

"Who does she look like, Tanaka?" Joe asked.

"Well, she looks like a girl that I went to school with in high school, but I thought she'd be…older." Sakaki said, still holding on to Nekosa.

"Ah, there you are, Ami!" Another woman came out from around corner. She looked exactly like the little girl, with the exception that her hair was a bit darker brown, and her hair was braided into only one long braid. Oh, and she was taller, and had a much larger breast size.

Kamineko sat in Ami's arms, seemingly happy.

The woman looked up to notice Sakaki and Joe, still standing there stunned.

"Huh? Sakaki-san?! Is that you?!" The woman said.

Sakaki looked completely puzzled. Then it slowly dawned on her.

"R-Rachel?" Sakaki asked.

"Yes!" The woman said.

"Wow…you've, um, grown." Sakaki said, completely surprised at the woman before her.

"Um, Tanaka, who is this?" Joe asked, turning toward Sakaki.

"Tanaka?" Rachel said. "Oh, that must be Sakaki's first name! But…who are you?"

Joe turned around and bowed. "Forgive me for not introducing myself. I'm Joe, Tanaka's fiancé."

Rachel bowed. "I'm Rachel Handelbarz. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"So…you have a daughter?" Sakaki asked, looking at the daughter holding Kamineko.

"Yes, I'm her daughter!" The girl said happily, before bowing. "My name is Ami Handelbarz."

She then stood upright. "And this is Koibitoneko." She said, referring to Kamineko in her hands.

Kamineko bear-trap smiled, which gave a chill to both Sakaki and Joe.

"So, Sakaki, getting married then?" Rachel said. "Well, that's nice. At least now I can have someone else to talk to about marriage."

"You mean you're already married?" Sakaki asked.

Nekosa jumped down from Sakaki's back. Sakaki now stood upright.

"Yes. I married a French man, but he didn't want me taking his last name" Rachel said.

"So, um, where did you find…" Joe looked at Kamineko, and stopped short. Nekosa was already petting Kamineko, and Kamineko seemed to be enjoying it.

Sakaki also stared wide-eyed at her daughter, who was petting Kamineko with no problems at all.

"Oh, you mean that cat? We found him in an alleyway in Paris. He seemed all beaten up and bruised." Rachel said.

Paris?! Joe thought. Thinking back to the battle, Kagura had kicked Kamineko far away.

He landed in Paris, and survived?! Joe thought. This cat was unbelievably strong to him.

"I found him, and healed him, so now he's all better!" Ami said.

"I'll say…" Rachel said. "That cat actually saved us at one point. Some robbers broke into our house while we were home."

"And Koibitoneko scared them away!" Ami said happily.

"Hey, Okaasan, come pet this cat! His fur feels nice!" Nekosa said, still petting Kamineko.

"Uhhh…t-that's OK, I'd rather not…" Sakaki said nervously.

"C'mon, Okaasan, you have to feel this!" Nekosa said, running over to Sakaki, and grabbing her hand.

Sakaki was dragged over to Kamineko by her own daughter. Now she was trapped.

Sakaki slowly put her hand towards Kamineko. Her hand was shaking like mad.

Joe was also watching Sakaki's hand. He knew for a fact he couldn't undo Kamineko's bite. Not with Kamineko's newfound power.

Sakaki closed her eyes, and slowly continued moving her hand toward Kamineko.

Sakaki's eyes shot open, as she actually touched Kamineko's forehead. She was even more amazed when she could actually pet it.

Can this….really be? Sakaki thought.

"See? Koibitoneko's nice!" Ami said.

That…can't be right…Joe thought.

Nekosa, Joe, Ami, Rachel, and Sakaki all watched Sakaki pet Kamineko.

"Oh, look, a butterfly!" Rachel said, losing her eye contact with Kamineko.

Ami and Nekosa lost their eye-contact with Kamineko, and looked at the butterfly.

In an instant, Kamineko bit down hard on Sakaki's hand.

Sakaki stood there in utter shock.

It took Joe about a second to figure out just what was going on.

I see…Kamineko didn't bite her at first because Rachel and Ami were watching, Joe thought.

Kamineko then quickly let go of Sakaki's hand, as Sakaki withdrew it. Rachel, Ami, and Nekosa's attention then went back to Kamineko.

Sakaki grabbed hold of her bleeding hand. Joe quickly ran up, and made sure she was OK.

"Eh?" Ami asked. "Why'd you stop petting Koibitoneko?"

"Um…because we need to go. We've got lots of stuff to do today!" Joe said, trying to cover up the fact that Kamineko had bitten down on Sakaki's hand.

"Oh, OK then!" Ami said.

Nekosa, meanwhile, looked deep into the eyes of Kamineko. She hadn't been watching, but from the look in Kamineko's eyes, she could possibly tell what had happened.

Joe grabbed the luggage and strung it over one shoulder, and then he and Sakaki started walking in the direction of their house, with Nekosa trailing behind.

"Well, I'll see you at the class reunion!" Rachel said, waving goodbye.

"See you!" Sakaki said quickly, waving back with her non-bleeding hand, which Joe was holding (making it look like they were holding hands). Joe could already feel the warm blood oozing into his hand.

Class Reunion? Sakaki thought.

"Bye, Ami!" Nekosa called out, waving goodbye to her new friend.

"Bye!" Ami called out, waving goodbye to her friend.

…

Making it back to their house, Joe dropped the luggage on the ground, while Sakaki ran into the bathroom where the first-aid kit was.

Nekosa looked around the house.

"It's…kinda small." Nekosa pointed out.

"That's because you're used to American houses. Don't worry, you'll get used to it. I did." Joe responded, as he went to check on Sakaki.

Sakaki was already in the process of wrapping her hand in a bandage.

"Wow, you're fast!" Joe said, amazed at the speed at which Sakaki had bandaged her hand.

"Well, this happened to me a lot in my childhood…" Sakaki said coolly. She quickly finished wrapping up her hand.

Joe walked over to the sink and washed his hands of Sakaki's blood.

"Okaasan? What happened to your hand?" Nekosa asked, as she walked in front of the bathroom doorway.

"Uh…" Sakaki stuttered, unsure of what to tell Nekosa.

"She…um…" Joe tried to think of any excuse, but couldn't come up with a single one as to why Sakaki had a big bandage around her hand.

"That cat…it bit you, didn't it?" Nekosa said, in a very disheartened tone.

Sakaki looked at her daughter, and then sighed heavily.

"Yes, it did." Sakaki admitted.

"I could tell. That cat has nothing but pure hate in his eyes for you, Okaasan." Nekosa said sadly.

Nekosa's eyes began to water up.

"I-I'm sorry, Okaasan…I…I forced you to pet the cat, even though you knew he was gonna bite you…I-It's my fault…" Nekosa began sniffling, indicating she was on the verge of crying.

Joe walked over.

"No, no, no, it's not your fault at all. You didn't know it was gonna bite your Okaasan." Joe said. He hugged Nekosa tightly.

Sakaki got up; hand fully bandaged up, and joined in the hug.

"It's OK, Nekosa. It's not your fault. I don't blame you. " Sakaki said, in that loving motherly tone.

This seemed to cheer Nekosa up. She smiled, though she was still sniffling a little bit. Her tail began to whip, as she began to purr loudly, fully enjoying the hug she was getting from her parents.

"I love you, Okaasan and Otousan." Nekosa said.

"We love you too, Nekosa." Joe and Sakaki said in unison.

After about a minute of this, the hug broke up.

"Speaking of injuries, though…" Joe said. He reached down and grabbed hold of Nekosa's bandage on her knee.

"Hold still. This will sting a little." Joe warned. Nekosa nodded, and grabbed on to Sakaki.

Joe quickly ripped off the bandage, revealing Nekosa's now scabbed-over knee.

"And look, now when your Okaasan removes the bandage from her hand, you and her will be sharing scabs!" Joe said, which seemed to brighten up Nekosa's mood.

Then a thought popped up in Sakaki's mind.

"Oh, there's something we need to do today!" Sakaki said happily. "How'd you like to meet your obaasan ?"

"Oh, can we?!" Nekosa asked happily.

"Sure we can." Sakaki said, smiling happily.

Nekosa happily jumped out the door.

"Hey, Tanaka, when you talk in that loving mother tone to Nekosa, it makes me love you more…" Joe said, a big smile on his face.

Sakaki blushed gently, as she and Joe locked lips.

"Okaasan!! Otousan!! Hurry up!!" Nekosa yelled from outside.

Joe pulled back, and sighed.

"Kids…" Joe said, almost in a disappointed tone.

Sakaki giggled slightly, as she and Joe made their way outside to take Nekosa to see Sakaki's mother.

Before she did, however, she made sure to check the mail, where she now spotted the invitation for the class reunion.

I'll think about it later, Sakaki thought, as she quickly tossed the mail onto the table, and ran back outside.

…

A knock on the door made Jessica jump slightly. She hadn't been expecting any company, but she happily got up, and went to answer the door.

"Ah, Tanaka, Joe-san!" Jessica responded with a smile.

"Obaasan!!" Nekosa jumped happily, right into the bewildered Jessica.

Jessica and Nekosa now lie on the ground, Nekosa on top of Jessica, rubbing cheek to cheek, and purring happily.

"Uh…who's this?" Jessica asked, still in a state of shock and surprise.

"This is Nekosa. Your granddaughter." Sakaki responded happily.

"Nekosa?" Jessica couldn't help but giggle a little. Nekosa had her almost pinned to the ground, but Jessica slowly pushed her off so she could at least sit up.

Jessica got her first full look at Nekosa. Nekosa reminded her a lot of Sakaki at a much younger age, with the exception of her cat-like features.

Wait…cat-like features…Jessica thought.

She waited for a moment for the sneezing to take over, but nothing happened. Jessica crawled over to Nekosa, and even started sniffing her cat ear.

"Obaasan…" Nekosa giggled a bit. "It tickles…"

Jessica pulled back and stared at this cat-child before her.

"I'm…not sneezing…" Jessica said in pure amazement.

Sakaki nodded her head. "Nekosa's hypoallergenic, and she doesn't shed at all."

Nekosa nodded happily. "MM-hm. Okaasan says you're allergic to cats. But not to me!"

Jessica, still amazed at this cat child, even began petting Nekosa's forehead.

"Pssst!" Joe whispered. "Scratch her behind the ear, she loves that!"

Jessica moved her hand, and began scratching behind Nekosa's ear.

Nekosa closed her eyes and began purring loudly and even turned her head a little so the scratching was better.

"Are you alright, Jessica? I heard a strange…" Daichi came out from one of the back rooms, and immediately saw Jessica scratching Nekosa's ear. "Um…Did I miss something here?"

Nekosa opened her eyes. "Ojiisan!!" Nekosa did the same running and jumping as she did with Jessica, but the buff Daichi wasn't knocked over by Nekosa's jump at him.

Nekosa gave her grandfather a big hug, still purring loudly. Her tail was flicking back and forth.

"Can someone please explain to me what's going on?" Daichi said, obviously now becoming annoyed.

"I'm your granddaughter!" Nekosa said happily.

"So, the reason you wanted to marry my daughter was because you had already had a child, huh?!" Daichi was now getting angry.

Joe panicked, and started waving his hands frantically in front of his body. "Uh, n-no, n-nothing like that!!"

Sakaki walked up to her father.

"No, think of this more as adoption, but this girl was created from my DNA…" Sakaki started.

"Uh, you lost me…" Daichi said, looking completely confused.

Joe breathed a sigh of relief. Daichi had calmed down.

…

Sakaki lay down on the couch, blushing profusely with a big smile across her face. Nekosa had curled up with her, and had fallen asleep. It was so unbelievably cute.

Joe, meanwhile, explained precisely what and who Nekosa was to Daichi and Jessica.

"…and that's why we're now taking care of Nekosa. But…" Joe looked over at Sakaki and smiled. "…I don't think Tanaka minds all that much."

Sakaki shook her head slowly, and curled up tighter with Nekosa. Nekosa smiled, and began purring in her sleep. Sakaki's face turned a new kind of beat red at this absolute cuteness displayed by her daughter.

"So, she's hypoallergenic, meaning I can actually see her, touch her, everything, without any sort of bad reactions?" Jessica asked.

"Correct." Joe said, turning back to the table.

"So…" Daichi said, putting his big buff arms on the table. And in a very serious tone, he asked "You're sure you're not lying about having this child before you proposed?"

Joe stared him straight in the eyes. "Positive."

"Ok, then, just making sure…" Daichi said, before removing his arms from the table.

…

Much later

…

Joe and Sakaki left the house, Nekosa in Sakaki's arms, still asleep. It was already 11:00pm. Nekosa had fallen asleep with Sakaki on the couch at about 9.

"Well, that was a touching meeting…" Joe said, staring off.

Sakaki nodded.

Joe and Sakaki walked all the way home in the dark, neither of them afraid of robbers or anything of the sort.

Except for the little gray cat that jumped out in front of them at the light, and smiled his big bear trap smile.

Kamineko hissed, before running off.

"What…the heck…was that?" Sakaki asked, still breathing hard in surprise from Kamineko.

"A warning…" Joe said mysteriously. "A warning that says 'don't pet me again'"

…

The next day, Joe, Sakaki, and Nekosa all went over to Sakaki's aunt's house, and picked up the Iriomote cats.

"Awww…who missed me?" Joe said, bending down and opening up his arms for any Iriomote to come jumping into.

CHOMP!!

Joe winced, and looked over at his now gobbled down hand. CoKaorin bit down on it.

"Missed you too…" Joe said sarcastically.

Nekosa and Sakaki laughed.

…

Author's notes:

Koibitoneko means "Sweetheart cat". (Yeah, Kamineko, sweetheart cat, right --o )

Obasan is aunt, but Obaasan (with an extra 'a') is Grandmother.

Ojisan is uncle, but Ojiisan (with an extra 'I') is Grandfather.

Now that Joe is getting married, it's noted here that he only wears his glasses when he's working.

And the final note, Nekosa does have another blood donor (I noticed a lot of people left reviews on that); it just hasn't been revealed yet as to who (you'll see them later on)

Next Chapter: Koharu's First Day


	63. Koharu's First Day

Koharu's First day

Note: The three chapters with the kids all happen within the same day, just with the focus changed.

…

Kagura and Kaorin decided to go shopping down at the local mall, since they needed a few things for Koharu, such as a spare futon, as well as a few other things.

First stop was the clothes store, where they needed a few more shirts and stuff for Koharu.

"Um, Koharu, as just a question, what's your favorite color?" Kaorin asked, while she stared at a shirt rack.

"Well, actually, I have trouble deciding myself…" Koharu said, staring at a few caps with kanji symbols on them. "I'm always stuck between bright pink, and dark blue."

That sounds girlish, and boyish at the same time…that is SO weird, Kaorin thought.

She picked out a shirt, and turned to show Kagura, to find Kagura was not behind her.

"Eh?" Kaorin turned toward Koharu. "Koharu, where'd your Natsuko-mama go?"

"Oh, she said she went to check out the sporting clothes store, she said she'll be right back…" Koharu said, trying to decide which cap she liked better, the blue cap with 'boy' on it, or the pink cap with 'girl' on it.

Kaorin sighed. Then she perked up. "Well, without her around, that means I get full rights to decide what you wear!"

Koharu shivered a bit. "Not too much pink, please…"

…

About an hour later, Kaorin and Koharu walked out of the clothes store. Kaorin was toting a bag, and a big smile. Koharu looked a little down heartened.

Kagura came running up to the two of them, also toting a bag.

"Sorry it took me so long…" Kagura said.

"Well, it's about time. We still need to pick out a futon for Koharu!" Kaorin said angrily.

"Uh…sorry, you know how uh…I can get around sporting stuff…" Kagura said. Truth be told, she had only been in the sporting store for a few minutes. She had actually been somewhere else…

"Hey, give it back!" The three of them heard.

All three of them turned to see 4 large boys bullying this little kid with glasses. They had taken his glasses and were now playing 'Keep away'.

"I hate guys like that…" Kaorin said angrily.

"I'll teach them a lesson!" Kagura said, pounding her fist into her empty hand.

Kaorin smiled. "I think our child can do that for us…" She pointed to Koharu, who was headed over to the fray, fists already in knuckle form.

Kaorin and Kagura watched their daughter, smiling the entire time. They watched the guy she went and talked to, who talked back to her, while the other three laughed. Then the leader lightly pushed on Koharu.

"Uh-oh…" Kaorin said, smiling bigger.

"He's gonna get it now…" Kagura said, also smiling bigger.

They both heard a yell of pain, as Koharu kicked hard into this guy's shins. She then grabbed hold of his shirt, and threw him into another one of his buddies. A third guy came running up to punch Koharu, only to have his hand stopped, and his wrist broken. Koharu then kicked him right into guy four, who had started to run away.

Then, out of pure sincerity, she went over, picked up the crying kid's glasses, and handed them to him. He put them on, bowed to his savior, and then ran off. Koharu then returned to her proud parents.

"Way to go, kiddo." Kagura said, giving a thumbs up to Koharu.

Koharu stared grumpily at Kagura. "Kaori-kaa-san bought me a bunch of pink stuff. I'm mad at you right now."

Kaorin giggled, as Kagura looked completely down heartened.

"Don't worry; I've got a bunch of cool shirts in here…" Kagura whispered to Koharu once Kaorin was out of earshot. Kagura pointed to her bag.

Koharu quickly looked in the bag to confirm, then smiled.

Luckily, the thing that Kagura had actually wanted to purchase had been buried in the bottom, beneath the clothes, so that no spotting eyes could see it…

…

After buying a futon for Koharu, the three girls then returned home to drop off all their stuff.

"So, um, hey, Koharu, uh…" Kagura started. She looked back to see Koharu had fallen asleep carrying her stuff in.

"Must be time for a nap…" Kaorin said. It was 1:00pm.

Kaorin lifted up Koharu in one arm, and took the futon in the other.

"Woah, you've got some hidden strength!!" Kagura said in amazement.

Kaorin giggled. "There are a few things I like to keep secret from people…"

Kaorin then took Koharu into her room.

Now's my chance! It's now or never! Kagura thought.

She reached into the bottom of the bag for her special thing she had purchased…

…

Kaorin lay Koharu down on floor, then uncurled the futon, then lay Koharu on the futon, and tucked her in.

Kaorin smiled at her child. It looked exactly like her, but had some attributes of Kagura.

Kaorin was just amazed at how Koharu had seemingly pulled her and Kagura even closer…that child that had the utmost distaste for men, and could beat them easily; had tugged together the love that she and Kagura had for each other.

Kaorin walked out of the room to find Kagura standing there, a very determined look on her face.

"Kagura?" Kaorin asked.

Kagura walked up to Kaorin and locked lips. Kaorin was pushed up against the wall.

Kagura pulled back from kissing. She took a deep breath, and nervously began her speech. "K-Kaorin, I…uh, kn-know we haven't been dating that long, and uh…I haven't taken you anywhere special, but…I really love you and…" She looked up into Kaorin's eyes. Kaorin's beautiful brown eyes. "…I would really love to spend the rest of my life with you. And, I'm not really sure, um…how to say this, b-but…"

Kagura reached into her pocket, and pulled out that special item she had gone and purchased. She opened the tiny box it was contained in.

"Kaorin Aida, will you….m-m-marry me?" Kagura asked nervously. That last part had been so hard for her to get out. She was so unsure of how Kaorin would react.

Kaorin gasped. The ring shined beautifully in her eyes.

What went through Kaorin's mind at that time was that Kagura had actually worked up the courage to ask this question to her. To ask the question of a lifetime commitment for the both of them.

And just like the question had done for Sakaki, Kaorin flashed back.

She flashed back to how she and Kagura had actually started dating at the low point in both of their lives. It picked up the both of them to the point of blissful happiness and pure love.

She flashed back to that day that they had made love to each other, and that night, when they did it again. The true love that the two shared for each other, was limitless, and unbound.

Kaorin jumped onto Kagura, causing her to fall on the floor. Kaorin locked lips with Kagura, even giving some tongue.

Kaorin pulled back. "Yes! Yes! Of course I'll marry you!!"

Kagura got the happiest look on her face. She quickly reached over, and pulled the ring out of the box, and put it on Kaorin's left ring finger. Then the two shared in more lip-locking love.

…

Despite both of them wanting to, they decided not to 'make love' for the only reason that it might wake Koharu up. Instead they decided they needed to talk about a few things, and went downstairs to sit around the table.

In the meantime, Kaorin went outside to get the mail, and came back in with a few letters.

"So, now, what about the marriage?" Kagura asked.

Kaorin sat down, and pulled out one letter in particular.

"This…" Kaorin said "…is a letter inviting us to the class reunion happening in a few days." She handed the letter to Kagura, who then opened it and read it.

"There's one in here for me as well…" Kaorin said, pulling it out. "…I say we ask Joe and Sakaki-san about their marriage, possibly get it scheduled at the exact same time, so then that way, we can cut the costs for the both of us."

"Ohhhh, good idea, Kaorin!" Kagura said. Then she smiled. "You know, that's why I love you. You can always come up with the best ideas."

The two leaned in for another kiss before returning to their brainstorming.

"So, um…what about the marriage OF the two of us?" Kagura asked.

"Huh?" Kaorin asked, looking utterly confused.

"You know… the whole 'lesbian marriage' thing…" Kagura said, trying to get Kaorin to understand.

It took a minute for Kaorin to get it. Lesbian marriage, as far as they knew, was still banned in Japan.

Kaorin thought hard on this one.

"I…I don't know, Kagura…" Kaorin said, looking completely disheartened.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm sure we'll be able to figure something out. Even if we have to move somewhere where we can get married, it WILL happen. Promise!!" Kagura said, giving Kaorin a thumbs up.

Kaorin smiled at Kagura. Her fears just went away every time Kagura said something like that to her…

"So, how about meeting our parents, then?" Kaorin asked.

"Well, I haven't told my dad about my…choices, yet…" Kagura said, rubbing the back of her head with one hand.

"You know…I think my mother always knew, despite her never actually saying anything to me…" Kaorin said softly.

Kagura and Kaorin sighed heavily. This was going to be harder than they thought.

"Well, since your mother always kind of knew, let's go meet my dad first…That one will be the hardest, I think…" Kagura said.

Kaorin nodded her head in agreement.

…

So, after Koharu woke up from her nap, the three girls went over to Kagura's father's apartment, and knocked on the door. A big burly man that was a few centimeters taller than Kagura with brown hair and a plain white t-shirt and sweatpants came to the front door.

"Ah, Natsuko!" The man whom Kaorin guessed was Kagura's father came up and gave his daughter a hug. "I was seriously worried when I heard that your boyfriend attacked you!"

"Um…Otousan, that's kind of what I need to talk to you about…" Kagura said grimly.

Her father pulled back, and looked deep into the eyes of his daughter. He could seriously tell something was up.

"OK, then, come inside…" her father said, beckoning them inside. Kagura came in, followed by Kaorin, and then Koharu stopped at the door.

"You're my Natsuko-mama's father? You're big…" Koharu said.

"Um…I'm guessing this is going to be explained too?" Kagura's father asked, pointing at Koharu.

Kagura nodded her head, although she didn't look at her father when she did. She was already trying to think about what to say.

Kagura's father turned back to the child, and bowed slightly.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Itsuki, your mother's father." The man responded.

…

Kagura and Kaorin sat one side of the table. Itsuki sat on the other side. Koharu went around the house, looking at the pictures posted on the wall.

"OK, Kagura, what did you have to say?" Itsuki asked.

Kagura was shaking. She was not afraid of her father, by any means. It was the fact that she had to explain to her father her life choices, and she had no idea how he would react to it. She couldn't keep eye contact either. She kept staring at the table.

"O-Otousan, I c-came over to t-tell you that…that…" Kagura froze, unable to speak any further. Her absolute fear of what her father would say, or what he would do.

Kaorin looked over at Kagura. She noticed Kagura was shaking, and even sweating slightly.

Kaorin did the best thing anybody could have, and grabbed hold of Kagura's hand, and held it tightly.

Kagura looked over at Kaorin, and they locked eyes. Kaorin nodded.

Itsuki noticed this, but didn't think anything of it. His focus remained on his daughter.

Kagura took a deep breath. The knowledge that Kaorin would help her, and be there for her made things so much better.

Kagura looked back at the table, and continued her speech. "I came over here to tell you that…" Kagura took another deep breath. "…This is Kaorin. And we are set to marry."

Kagura finished her speech, and shut her eyes tight. She waited for the response from her father.

Kaorin could feel Kagura squeezing her hand tightly for comfort. Kaorin looked up at Itsuki, who seemed almost like…

He had no idea what to say.

"Kagura…" Itsuki began. He took a deep sigh, and stood up. He went over, and stared at a picture. A picture of Kagura, himself, and another beautiful woman with short brown hair, who resembled Kagura in many ways.

"I always figured something like this would happen…" Itsuki said. "When you first started dating that man, I could already see, deep in his eyes, that he had no respect for woman. But…being the man that I am, I didn't think anything of it, and let you two continue dating."

Itsuki took a deep breath and continued "But… after he attacked you, I felt horrible inside. Like I was to blame for what had happened."

Kagura's eyes snapped open at this, and she looked up at Itsuki, who continued to stare at the picture.

Even Koharu sat down, and listened to this. This was fascinating her little 6-year-old mind.

"And…I even sat in this house, feeling like that, but continuing to do nothing. I felt…helpless. And, I know that if your mother had been around…she would have known what to do…" Though no one could see it, Kagura's father had a tear run down his face.

Kagura stood up, and walked over to her father. She hugged him tightly.

Koharu, feeling the sadness in the room, walked over to Kaorin, and hugged her tightly. Koharu even began sniffiling.

"I guess I really do miss her a lot…and you know, I've thought about remarrying once or twice, but I'm…what do they say nowadays?...'past my prime'. I just wish I could really find a woman to help me remember just what it's like to be loved." Itsuki wiped away another tear, as Kagura hugged him tightly.

"Otousan, you're not the one to blame…" Kagura said "…truthfully, I dated him for stupid reasons, and I just kept the relationship going because I felt like I needed someone to love me."

Kagura let go of her father, and stared at the ground behind him, as Itsuki turned around to face her daughter.

"…but, when he did attack me, Kaorin was the one to come to my rescue, and she was also having a hard time in her love life too. It just kind of fit that we should start dating…and…"

Kagura took another deep breath. "…and we've already 'made love'…"

"Kagura!!" Kaorin yelled, blushing in embarrasement.

Kagura ignored the outburst and continued "…and I really love her for the person she is. Besides, the kid is ours. She came through some DNA thing in America, neither of us actually gave birth to her. But we love her anyway, and she's brought us closer together than anything ever could. So, I just…" Kagura stopped, unsure of how to finish. "I just…I just wish that…for once, something in my life would turn out OK, and…it seems that, with Kaorin, it has."

Itsuki smiled slightly, and gave her daughter a hug.

"If it's your choice, I fully respect it. I hope you live a happy life with her."

Kagura began crying, but these were tears of joy. She gave Itsuki a big squeeze of a hug, crying the entire time.

Kaorin had to wipe away a tear. It was just such an emotional moment.

After pulling out of the hug, Kagura wiped the tears away from her face.

"Thanks, Otousan…" Kagura said, smiling happily.

"Don't mention it, kiddo…" Itsuki said, putting one hand on the top of Kagura's head.

A moment of silence, as Kagura stood staring at her father in admiration.

"So, you guys made love, huh?" Itsuki said, causing Kaorin to blush again. He leaned in close to Kagura. "Can I watch the next time you do it?"

"Otousan!" Kagura said, playfully punching his arm.

"Hey, how about one more arm wrestling match?" Kagura's father asked.

"Oh, you're on!" Kagura said, getting pumped up.

Kagura and Itsuki set up, and began arm wrestling.

Itsuki won, but only by a bit.

"Natsuko-mama, you need to work out more!" Koharu said, as she went over, and put herself in the postion to arm-wrestle.

"Heh…I like your kid already!" Itsuki said, as he set up to arm-wrestle.

"Uh, Otousan, just…don't hold back." Kagura said.

"Huh?" Itsuki got his answer immediately, as Koharu slammed his hand to the table.

"OK, I wasn't ready, rematch!" Itsuki said.

Koharu smiled a little evil smile. Now she knew he was ready for a match.

1 minute in, neither showed any movement…

2 minutes in, Koharu started to push Itsuki's hand back. Itsuki smiled.

"Not bad, kiddo. No one's ever pushed me this far before. Now for my secret technique! The Kagura Family Special!" And as he finished, he began to push Koharu's hand back.

"Nooo!" Koharu screamed, smiling the entire time. She could only watch in amazement as Itsuki pushed her hand all the way back and finally to the table.

"Woah! That's amazing!!" Koharu said, utterly stunned.

"THAT…is a secret technique known only to me. And if Kagura, or any other person in the family ever beat me, I would teach them the secret technique." Kagura's father said.

"OK! I'll work my hardest, and one day, I will beat you!" Koharu said excitedly.

…

Next was Kaorin's mother's apartment.

And the setup was the same, but Kaorin was right. Her mother always did know…

"I…kind of knew…her obsession with that tall girl kind of clued me on, but…" Kari stood up, and walked over to a picture of herself, a younger Kaorin, and a man, who seemed happy. "…I guess I…knew that…without a man in the house…that things would turn out this way…"

Koharu hugged Kagura this time, while Kaorin got up and hugged her mother.

"…but I fully support the choices you make, Kaori. And I hope you live a happy life." Kari finished, giving her daughter a hug.

…

By the time the girls got home, Koharu was asleep once again. It was already 9:30 at night, the meeting with the parents had taken up most of the day.

Kagura put Koharu to bed, and she and Kaorin sat down at the table.

"You know, that's another thing we have in common. Both of us had to grow up with only one parent…" Kaorin said sadly.

Kagura nodded sadly. It had been a very emotional day for the both of them.

They remained silent for what seemed like hours. Then Kaorin got an idea. A brilliant, almost genius idea.

"Kagura…I think I just got an idea…"

Kaorin explained her idea to Kagura.

"oah!! That's brilliant! And it would be perfect, too!!" Kagura said in amazement.

"I think it's the perfect plan!" Kaorin said, pounding her fist into her empty hand.

Kagura smiled.

"My god, I love you, you brilliant woman…" Kagura said.

Kaorin smiled, and blushed a little.

"You know, if we lock the door, I'm sure Koharu won't come in…" Kaorin said, almost edging Kagura on.

…

And so, at the end of a long, hard day, the two girls made love to each other once more behind the safety of a locked door, but made sure to put their clothes back on and unlock the door before finally falling asleep in each other's arms.

…

Author's Notes: We'll find out what their 'brilliant plan' is in a later chapter in this saga.

And just so there isn't any confusion, Kari is Kaorin's mother.

And a final note: Any sort of relation or similarity that this fic has to any other is purely coincidental, unless stated otherwise.

Next Chapter: Koyomiko's First Day


	64. Koyomiko's First Day

Koyomiko's First Day

Note: One curse word in here. May be rated 'M'

…

Koyomiko's parents finally got out of the hug.

"So, hey, I'm going to go get the mail from my apartment, then tell them I'm moving out, OK?" Tomo said in her usual energetic manner, as she ran out the door.

But she didn't go to her apartment in her usual energetic manner. She actually used the walking time to think to herself.

Tomo had really begun to question herself over the past few days. Why did she enjoy annoying Yomi so much?

Well, truthfully, she didn't anymore. It had been fun while it lasted, but when Yomi got into that depression state over not having a boyfriend; it hurt Tomo to know she had sent her best friend into a depression rather than getting her peeved.

Tomo also questioned why she had run over to Yomi's house in the first place when Laharl broke up with her. Why would she seek comfort in the arms of the person she continually annoyed all throughout her high school years?

And…she could really feel her likeness for Yomi begin to grow, even…

No! No! No! I will not become a lesbian, no way! And especially not with Yomi! Tomo thought.

Still, that friendship that she could feel with Yomi…

Tomo reached her house and checked her mail. She noticed a letter for a class reunion, and smiled slightly. She had already kept up with most of her friends from high school already. It would be kind of nice to see where the rest of the people from high school had gone.

She walked into the building, and told the landlord she would no longer be living there. She then walked to the post office, and told them her new address, which happened to be Yomi's address.

Tomo made one last stop at her apartment, and cleaned it out. One last look around the apartment to make sure she got everything.

She stopped at the bathroom, and stared at the toilet. She could feel her rage boil at that point, but she also felt completely helpless, to know she couldn't do anything, because she had no idea where he was.

She slammed her fist against the wall. It hurt just so much. That jerk of a boyfriend…

Tomo stormed out of her apartment in an angry fit, and began walking down the sidewalk to Yomi's apartment building once more.

…

"Your move…" Yomi said.

Koyomiko studied the board, then moved her queen piece.

"Checkmate, Kaa-san!" Koyomiko said happily.

"Wow, you're good! You've got to play Joe-san sometime. He's really good, too." Yomi said, smiling at her child.

Tomo walked in the door, looking absolutely distraught, but she was smiling, at least. She was carrying all of her things, but they looked like they weighted quite a bit.

"Ah, Mama, you just missed me beating Kaa-san in a game of Shogi!" Koyomiko said happily.

"All 5 times we played. She's really good." Yomi said with a smile.

"Really?" Tomo huffed. "I…sure wish…I could've seen that…"

Tomo carried her bags all the way to her room, and set them down on the floor. She immediately began unpacking.

…

Koyomiko yawned.

"Well, I think it's time for a nap…" Yomi said. She walked over and picked up Koyomiko, and walked to their room, where Tomo was unpacking her things.

"You can unpack that stuff later…Koyomiko needs a nap, and I think we need to talk." Yomi said.

Tomo nodded her head, not looking at Yomi. That deep dark void that Laharl had left in Tomo made her feel all empty inside. She hadn't felt it over in America, because her bad memories of Laharl only existed here, in Japan.

Tomo walked out of their room, sulking. Her endless energy just felt…drained, if that were even a possibility.

Yomi and Tomo sat down at the table. Tomo just stared at the table, while Yomi stared at Tomo.

Yomi sighed, and started her speech: "Tomo-chan, I've noticed a change in you since we came back here from America. You suddenly lost a lot of your energy. I mean, A LOT of it. C'mon, the Wildcat Tomo I know would never let something some guy said to her affect her like that."

"I can't help it, Yomi. The stuff he said to me hit me deep down. He told me I'd never get a date. That I'd remain single forever. Maybe that wouldn't have affected me if it weren't for the fact that you were taking those diet pills. The fact that you've now gotten past your weight problem, and you can actually find a date that doesn't include fat guys." Tomo continued to stare at the table.

Yomi stared at Tomo. The Wildcat had been somehow tamed to the point of actually losing her energy.

That jerk Laharl must've really done her in, Yomi thought.

Tomo now had a few tears run down her face, but tried to quickly wipe them away before Yomi noticed.

Yomi noticed them anyway. She crawled herself over to Tomo, and gave her a hug.

"Yomi…um…I think I'm beginning to understand why Kagura made her choice…" Tomo felt better inside with Yomi wrapped around her like that.

"What do you mean by that?" Yomi asked.

Tomo turned her head, and locked lips. She pushed Yomi over, and even landed on top of her, keeping lips locked.

"Yomi…I don't know what it is, but…whenever I'm around you…I feel like…that void that that jerk left are filled up. I know I was a total asshole to you in high school, but…just maybe…we could look past that. I mean, it's working out for Kaorin and Kagura, why not us too?" Tomo looked into Yomi's eyes longingly.

"T-Tomo, I, uh, I think you're rushing into things a bit fast here…" Yomi said, staring in shock at the Wildcat.

It was at that point that Tomo got a weird idea. She took Yomi's glasses off, and placed them on the table.

"Tomo, you're being a bit of a jerk here…" Yomi said, slightly irritated.

Tomo ignored the comment, and put her face an inch away from Yomi's, so they could lock eyes.

What Yomi saw, she will never forget. Normally, when she looked into Tomo's eyes, all she saw was a mischievous child looking to have some fun, even when Tomo was grown up.

But this time she saw pain, and hurt. She saw that void that Tomo felt since her breakup.

"Tomo…"

Tomo's eyes began to water up. She hugged her friend tightly. Yomi sat up, with Tomo still wrapped around her, and hugged back.

Yomi just smiled.

"You know, I read my mail while you were gone. Nobody at the class reunion is going to believe this."

Tomo chuckled. "Well, we could just keep it a secret…"

"And what about Koyomiko? How do you explain that one?" Yomi asked.

"heh…adopted." Tomo said.

"That…wouldn't be entirely far off…but I really don't want to keep this a secret." Yomi said.

Tomo pulled back from her hug smiling. "Yeah, I know you don't, and truthfully, neither do I."

Yomi looked at her friend. It really felt like she had finally reached down into the deepest confines of Tomo, and pulled out that mature side that nobody had ever found.

"So, let's just tell people we're living in the same house, and we'll figure out the other stuff from there." Yomi said, as if she had already thought it through.

Tomo and Yomi sat there for a moment, completely silent.

"Um, don't we need a few more things for Koyomiko?" Tomo asked.

"Yeah, she's sleeping in my futon right now, so we're going to need another one of those…"

"Gah!" Tomo said, pounding her head on the table. "I'm flat broke! That dang America trip robbed me of everything! And now I need to start a new job too!"

"Don't worry about it." Yomi said. "The class reunion isn't for another 3 weeks. At least this way we can work it out so that we can get off of work."

"OK, then…" Tomo started. "Then once Koyomiko wakes up, we can go shopping! (_pump-fist_)"

…

Afternoon

…

Koyomiko, Tomo, and Yomi all went shopping, where their first stop would be the grocery store.

Yomi went to the back for the health items. Even though she was skinny and healthy, 20 years of habitually dieting and eating healthy were not about to be broken that easily.

And truthfully, she had stopped taking the diet pills when she had gotten to her ideal weight. With the company making the pills being backed up for years, she had to stretch her current supply.

Tomo, of course, immediately went for the unhealthy snacks and soda. Tomo had her hands filled with candy before she turned, and saw Koyomiko staring at her angrily.

"Mama, you know that all that candy is bad for you! And you know you can't have it!!" Koyomiko yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Tomo.

Tomo looked at her child. It was almost like…no, it WAS, the adult getting scorned by the child!

But then Koyomiko got a thought.

"Unless…"

Koyomiko ran out of sight of Tomo.

"Uh….huh?" Was all Tomo could manage.

…

Yomi finally decided on her health food when she felt a tug on her shirt. She looked down to see Koyomiko.

"Kaa-san, is today Treat Day?" Koyomiko asked.

"Treat day?" Yomi asked.

"Yes, Treat day." Koyomiko responded.

"Um…treat day?" Yomi felt completely confused.

"You know, treat day." Koyomiko said, looking at Yomi expectantly.

Moment of silence.

"Um…I'm not quite sure I understand Treat day…" Yomi said.

Koyomiko hung her head. "Kaa-san…"

Koyomiko looked back up at Yomi. "Treat day, where we are allowed one unhealthy treat."

Yomi's eyes went wide at the realization. "OOOOOOOH…."

Yomi put her hand on her child's head. "Then, yes, today is treat day."

Koyomiko's face lit up happily. She grabbed around Yomi's waist for a hug.

"Thank you, Kaa-san!" and she ran back off to grab some unhealthy candy with Tomo.

…

After purchasing a futon for Koyomiko

…

Tomo, carrying the futon, and her unhealthy candy bars; Koyomiko, carrying her bag of groceries; and Yomi, carrying her groceries, all finally went home.

"You know, Tomo, you're going to spoil your appetite if you eat those now…" Yomi warned, as Tomo unwrapped another candy bar.

"Aw, lighten up, Yomi! Have a little fun at least!" Tomo said, then she chomped down on her candy bar, taking a huge bite out of it.

"Mama needs to show a bit more self-control, like Kaa-san…" Koyomiko said.

"That's my girl." Yomi said proudly, looking over at Tomo with a big grin.

"Mimmle behstemmer" (Little backstabber) Tomo mumbled with her mouth full.

"Mama also needs to learn not to talk with her mouth full. It's rude." Koyomiko said.

Tomo glared at Koyomiko. Yomi couldn't help but smile big.

"Tomo, I think you're getting told off by a four-year-old…" Yomi said, in an almost bragging tone.

"Mhetemer" (Whatever) Tomo said, then she finally swallowed her chocolate bar.

"Koyomiko's showing more of Yomi then me…" Tomo grumbled.

"Because Kaa-san is more grown up than Mama is!" Koyomiko said happily.

Tomo's eye twitched.

Yomi snickered to herself.

"That's my girl!" Yomi said, rubbing Koyomiko's head.

…

Yomi woke up the next morning to a surprise.

Tomo lay spawled out on the floor, but she was using Yomi's stomach as a pillow.

"No…I…will date…just you watch…Stop…laughing…Laharl…" Tomo said in her sleep. It looked like she was having a nightmare.

Yomi stared at Tomo's face. Somehow, she really felt responsible for taking care of Tomo until this whole 'boyfriend' thing blew over.

Tomo snapped awake, and sat straight upward.

"Morning. Have a bad nightmare?" Yomi asked.

Tomo sighed, and nodded her head.

Yomi hugged Tomo once again. Koyomiko, who had been sleeping up to this point, woke up, noticed this, and came over to give a hug to her mother's as well.

"So, why were you sleeping on my stomach?" Yomi asked, as she and Koyomiko pulled back from the hug.

"Oh, because you're fat makes a nice pillow!" Tomo said with her usual energetic tone.

It was at this point that Yomi would have slugged Tomo straight to the face, but somehow, she felt that, at that time anyway, it just would have been wrong.

Instead, she put Tomo in a headlock.

"Koyomiko, quick, tickle attack!" Yomi yelled.

"H-hey, stop it! No fahahahaaha!!" Tomo was now being tickled by Koyomiko while being held by Yomi.

And that's the way the day started, a day that could possibly be considered as the starting point for the REAL friendship between Tomo and Yomi.

…

Author's Notes: For those that are worried, Wildcat Tomo will be back by the end of this saga. She's just kind of…heartbroken at this point. Heartbreaks can really change a person.

Secondly, Tomo and Yomi truthfully aren't into each other. They just finally have a friendship. They both are unsure about their sexual preference at this point.

And finally, this story is not collaborated in any way. ANYTHING that is somehow related to another author is borrowed with their full consent.

Next Chapter: The Teacher's 20 year reunion


	65. Teachers 15 year Reunion

Teachers 20 year Reunion

Teacher's 15 Year Reunion!

Guest Appearances: Miyuki Igarashi from Pani Poni Dash, Satsuki Gokajo from Happy Lesson, and even Miku from Anime Rebirth's 'The New Azumanga Daioh"!

…

2 ½ weeks later

…

And so it would come to be known that the girls had a 5-year class reunion coming up. All of them got their request off's in, but they would not be allowed any more. The girls' trip to America had sucked up almost all of their vacation time.

Joe also got his in, but it would also be his last. Joe was simply going with his fiancé.

Arata would be going as well, but the day immediately afterward, he would be heading out of the country for an important meeting for his job. (We will find out what his job is in the next chapter)

Saotome and Nyamo were now on the verge of marrying, and Yukari could tell. Saotome just needed to pop the question.

Saotome, however, in his own mind, just wasn't ready for marriage as of yet. Although he and Nyamo actually went out on dates, he wanted to date someone at least a year before finally asking. It was the way he did things, and if Nyamo understood that, maybe they were made for each other.

Tomo started out her job as an ICPO officer, and with her unlimited amount of energy, she was actually doing a pretty good job.

With one exception:

Tomo: "You look like a terrorist! I'm placing you under arrest!"

"I want my mommy!!" cried the three year old.

"Crying for your mommy ain't gonna help!" Tomo said, as she placed the handcuffs on the three-year-old.

Tomo came home that day with a black eye from the three-year-old's mother. No charges were filled, and Tomo got a VERY strict warning from her boss.

Daycare for the kids, to put it lightly, was hell.

Tomo and Yomi were told that Koyomiko had apparently picked up a new word, and was using it everywhere (Yomi angrily glared at Tomo when they were told what the word was).

Nekosa came home crying one day because someone had grabbed her tail, and wouldn't let go, and after that she had felt the need to climb up a tree and not come down.

And Kagura and Kaorin were told that Koharu had felt the need to beat up on every last boy she came across. Kagura and Kaorin could already see that most of the boys in the daycare were cowering in fear in the corner at this little 6-year-old girl.

And so, the parents decided the best course of action would be to let relatives watch over them, and the relatives were being paid to do so.

…

But first, the school needed to get a reunion together for the people that had been there 15 years before.

Which just happened to include Yukari and Nyamo.

Although Saotome had gone to Peach Moon Institute as a high school student, he was still going to go with Nyamo to her reunion.

They took Nyamo's vehicle (Nyamo, under no circumstances, would ever allow Saotome into Yukari's vehicle, especially with Yukari driving), pulled up, and immediately noticed how so many of their old classmates were already there.

Yukari, who surprisingly had stayed awake through the entire trip, now got out of the vehicle.

"Um…Yukari, why aren't you sleeping?" Nyamo asked. Not that she enjoyed waking Yukari up. Her mind just couldn't comprehend why Yukari wouldn't be sleeping.

"Nyamo, I haven't seen these people in years. I'm going to fully enjoy my day!" Yukari said happily.

Well, that's good to know… Nyamo thought. This meant that she wouldn't have to deal with Yukari all day.

"Hey, Nyamo! Yukari!!" A woman came running up to them.

"Ah, Miku! So nice to see you again." Nyamo said. Truthfully, they had actually only been apart about 2 months, in consideration that Miku was the school nurse of Azumanga High School.

"Ah, Miku, bet it's pretty boring around town with nothing to do!" Yukari responded happily.

"Oh, Yukari…" Miku responded in a monotonous tone. "You're old friend and classmate is over there…"

Miku pointed over to an area where a table had been set up with a bunch of fruit punch, and Yukari noticed a woman with red hair, and her haircut that reminded her a lot of Kaorin.

"OH, IS THAT…?!" Yukari's eyes lit up like she had just seen her favorite game on sale. She quickly ran over.

…

"Damn, I sure hope Yukari gets here soon, this punch is awful…" The woman moaned.

"And your lifeline has arrived!" Yukari said behind her. "Hello again, Igarashi-san."

"I think we're good enough friends that you can call me Miyuki, Yukari-san." Miyuki responded.

"So, I heard you moaning about me getting here soon…" Yukari said.

Miyuki got an evil smile.

…

"Oh, Nyamo, I would suggest we find a nice, safe place to hide…" Miku said, watching Yukari and Miyuki talk.

"Why's that?" Nyamo asked.

"That's Igarashi Miyuki. She's a teacher at my school, but she's always hung over…" Saotome said glumly.

Nyamo grabbed hold of Saotome's collar, and pulled him so they met eye to eye.

"Did you just say 'always hung over'?" Nyamo said in a terrified state.

"Um…yes?" Saotome responded.

Nyamo eyes went wide, as she looked over to see that Yukari and Miyuki were no longer standing by the punch bowl.

"W-w-w-where'd they go?!" Nyamo said, now beginning to panic.

Then a shout was heard. A shout that would only send chills up your spine if it came from a certain person…

…

"SAKE!" Yukari yelled, holding a bottle of saki in her hand.

(Lighting strike, thunder heard)

Every last one of the people there now stared at Yukari, as they all began shivering in fear.

"My god, it's so nice to finally be able to drink with someone who enjoys it as much as I do!" Yukari said happily, a big smile plastered on her face.

"Bring back memories of college, don't it?" Miyuki said happily. She pulled another bottle of sake out of the duffle bag she had brought along. She and Yukari sat down underneath a tree on the school grounds.

"You bet it does. All the fun ones of us drinking ourselves silly…" Yukari said.

"…and that one where we passed out naked in the same room…" Miyuki said with a smile.

"Yeah, so many people believed we were lesbians after that!" Yukari said, laughing at the memory.

"…Except after we told them we were just drunk." Miyuki pointed out.

"Yeah, then all the college jocks wanted to date us after that…what a mess…" Yukari grumbled.

"Speaking of jocks, though, what is Nyamo doing with Saotome, my co-worker?" Miyuki asked.

At this point, Yukari took a huge swig of sake, tipping it way back.

"Gah, they're dating…" Yukari said in an irritated tone after she stopped drinking. "I can't believe Nyamo may just get a husband before I do."

Miyuki now took a huge swig of her sake.

"Well, don't feel bad, I don't even have a boyfriend at this point in my life…" Miyuki said after pulling back.

"Well, it's nice to know that there's someone else in the world who feels my pain." Yukari grumbled.

"Amen to that…" Miyuki said, raising her sake bottle.

Yukari clanked her sake bottle against Miyuki's, and they started drinking like there was no tomorrow.

…

"And so the exodus begins…" Miku said, watching Yukari and Miyuki drink.

"Just how much does she have?" Nyamo asked nervously.

Saotome thought for a minute.

"Well, based on the fact that she waited for Yukari to come before drinking any, and the fact that school's out, I'd have to say, ehhhh…enough to get the both of them drunk beyond belief." Saotome said.

Nyamo sighed, and hung her head deeply.

"And we have to drive her home…" Nyamo moaned.

"Could be worse. She could be driving." Saotome said.

"I don't think there's a difference between her driving drunk and driving sober." Nyamo said.

Saotome stood there for a moment, thinking to himself.

"I've got nothing…" Saotome said, giving up the fact that Yukari's driving was just that bad.

"And there she be!" A voice behind Nyamo said, putting her in a headlock, and giving her a noogie.

"Gah! Hey! Stop that!!" Nyamo said, trying to get herself out of the grip.

"Still can't break that grip, can you?" the woman let go of Nyamo, and Nyamo got her first look at her former classmate.

"Satsuki Gokajou? Is that really you?" Nyamo said, staring in utter awe at her.

"hehe…jealous of my rockin' hot body now, are ya?" Satsuki said, making a pose.

"Uh…wow, you've really, uh…gotten muscular." Nyamo said, still staring in utter awe.

"Yeah…hey, listen, you said that you have some former students that didn't have boyfriends, right?" Satsuki asked.

"Well, you could say that, except one's now getting married, and two other's, well…" Nyamo started rubbing the back of her head with one hand.

"What?" Satsuki asked, completely unaware.

"Well, let's just say one had a nasty boyfriend, and other was always into girls to begin with…" Nyamo said.

"Oh, they're lesbo's then?" Satsuki asked bluntly.

"Geez, so blunt!" Nyamo scorned.

"Sorry…anywho, my brothers will be coming into town, so I figured I'd let them meet…" Satsuki said.

"Um, just how old are you're brothers?" Saotome asked.

Satsuki started to think. "Well, one's four years older than I am, but he's already married… another one's two years older than I am, but he gambles a lot… One's actually my twin brother, although he went to a completely separate school, which was a little weird…one is three years younger than I am, and he's training to become a professional wrestler…and the last one is somewhere close to 10 years younger than I am, but I don't think any of the girls would be interested in him…and that's it."

"So, how old are you, then?" Saotome asked.

Nyamo elbowed him.

"Saotome!! Don't ever ask a woman her age!!" Nyamo scorned.

"Nah! It's fine!!" Satsuki said, a big grin on her face. "He'll yell in surprise when I tell him my age!"

Nyamo sighed heavily.

With her actions, you'd think she was 18, Nyamo thought.

"I'm 38 years old!!" Satsuki said, a big grin on her face.

Saotome stood there, unimpressed.

"What?! Nothing?!" Satsuki said angrily.

"You went to school with Nyamo. I was expecting your age to be around that… it wasn't based on looks." Saotome said.

Wow, he's smart AND happy most of the time…I really do like him deep down, Nyamo thought, blushing and smiling, while staring at Saotome.

Nyamo, looks like you've finally found a real winner here, Satsuki thought, looking at her old classmate.

It was about this time that a very drunk Yukari came walking (well, weaving) up.

"Wheresh (hic) Nyamo?! Ish need shome morsh of (hic) mysh drink." Yukari dropped right over Satsuki.

"Glad to see you haven't changed either, Yukari…" Satsuki said sarcastically. "My god, are you drunk!!"

"I shwear to drunk, I ain't god!! (hic)" Yukari replied.

Miku, who had disappeared without anybody noticing, came back with a bottle in her hand.

"Here, Yukari, I got you some more sake…" Miku said.

Wait, Miku giving Yukari sake? That's not right, Nyamo thought.

Yukari grabbed the bottle, and hoisted it up into the air, and drank it down. Yukari then proceeded to pass out.

"hehe…a good amount of knock-out sedative. Gave some to Miyuki after she tried running up the tree like those karate guys do. Both of them will be out for the rest of the day, I think." Miku said with a big evil smile.

"Where in the world did you pick up something like that?" Saotome asked.

"I mixed it myself…" Miku said, staring at the knocked out Yukari.

"Um…when school starts up, can I have some of that?" Saotome asked seriously. "I've got a problem with an 11-year-old genius teaching at my school…"

"Sorry, nurse's special." Miku said, waving one finger at Saotome.

…

And thanks in part to Miku, Yukari slept all the way home, where Nyamo dropped her off, then she and Saotome to Nyamo's apartment, where the both of them decided tonight, they needed to just simply learn more about each other.

…

Meanwhile

…

A man got off of the airplane, his wife behind him, holding on to a child's hand.

"Whew… just in time, honey! You'll still make it to that class reunion!" the wife responded.

"Not to mine, persay…" the man said. "But to my dear sweet Kaorin's reunion…"

"What reunion for me are you talking about, daddy?" Kaorin (Kimura's child) asked.

"Not your's, another Kaorin's…" Kimura responded.

…

Author's notes: Sorry if it seems like I'm cutting this short, but I really wanted to get to the next chapter, and this was just to give the teachers some spotlight.

Next Chapter: Azumanga Daioh Reunion!! Part 1


	66. Azumanga Daioh Reunion! Part 1

Azumanga Reunion Part 1

Azumanga Daioh Reunion! Part 1

Note: Yes, the reunion of the students is so long, that it requires two chapters, and both of them are VERY long.

Note2: It is with great honor that I say some special guests took some time out of their busy schedules to appear in this chapter.

…

And so it would finally come to be. August 1st. It was finally the day of the reunion.

Joe and Sakaki walked out of their house, Sakaki holding Nekosa's hand.

They stopped outside the Aida-Kagura household, where Kagura, Kaorin, and Koharu all came outside to meet them.

All of them then walked to where Yomi and Tomo were living together, and watched those two walk out with Koyomiko.

They stopped at Osaka's house, and after much pounding on the door, finally got Osaka and Arata to wake up and go.

And finally, they stopped at the Mihama residence, where Chiyo (child form) came walking outside, a determined smile plastered on her face.

"Not going with adult form?" Joe asked.

"My heart belongs to someone already. I just want people to think I'm cute, not beautiful." Chiyo responded in a determined tone.

Everybody slightly laughed. Love was such a confusing, yet awesome emotion.

…

On the way, everybody decided to ask Arata just what he did for a living.

"I'm a business analyst…" Arata said.

"So, what do you do, then?" Joe asked.

"I go around to businesses, and I tell them if they are a business or not…I'm a business analyst." Arata said.

What? Joe thought, as he sweat-dropped heavily.

Everybody rounded the corner, and came into full view of Azumanga High School.

Everybody stared at it for a moment, before walking onto the school grounds.

And Kaorin was immediately greeted by a teacher with glasses.

"Good evening, (_cracks neck_) Kaorin" Kimura said, his mouth gaping open.

Kaorin immediately ducked behind Kagura, shivering in fear.

"Koharu!! Sick 'em!" Kagura said, pointing at Kimura.

"Hacha!!" Koharu yelled, running up and roundhouse kicking.

Kimura put up one arm, and blocked it easily.

"Huh?!" Koharu said in shock.

Koharu dropped to the ground, and tried to trip up Kimura.

Koharu's leg hit Kimura's leg, and stopped.

Koharu, in total shock, slowly looked up at Kimura.

"And…who might you be?" Kimura asked, in a very creepy manner.

Koharu stared in fear at this man for a moment, then went running behind Kagura as well, crying, and curling up with Kaorin.

"Kaori-kaa-saaan!! That man scared me!!" Koharu cried.

Every last one of the Azu-girls began shivering. If Koharu couldn't defeat Kimura, who could?!

"It's been a while, girls…" Kimura said creeply. "Care to go for a dip in the pool?"

All of the Azu-girls slowly walked around Kimura, not answering. Kaorin and Koharu ran and hid behind the nearest tree.

"Man, to even be able to defeat Koharu… you have something magical about you…" Joe said, staring off at the tree that Kaorin and Koharu were hiding behind.

"Was it something I said?" Kimura asked innocently.

Joe shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh, well, I know some girls who are already swimming…" and he walked off.

"You know, I think he may be perverted…" Arata said.

Joe looked at Arata like he was crazy. "And where have you been?!"

"Standing here next to you. Weren't you paying attention?" Arata asked.

Joe opened his mouth to say something, then decided he'd better not.

…

Kaorin and Koharu were still curled up with each other, shivering behind the tree.

"Still scares you, huh?"

Kaorin looked up to see the friendly face of Chihiro.

Kaorin nodded.

"Don't worry about it. If he comes close to you again, I'll scare him off. I've got psychology on my side." Chihiro said, holding out one hand for Kaorin.

Kaorin smiled, and grabbed hold of Chihiro's hand, which then lifted her up.

"And who's this?" Chihiro said, looking down at Koharu.

"I'm Koharu Aida-Kagura. I'm very pleased to meet you." Koharu said politely, bowing as she did so.

"I'm Chihiro Azuma. I'm pleased to meet you too." Chihiro said, bowing. "So, you and Kagura had a child way beforehand?" Chihiro asked Kaorin.

"No, no, it's something that happened in America, and it's a long story. Remind me to tell you later. Just know that Sakaki also has a child named Nekosa, and Yomi and Tomo have one named Koyomiko." Kaorin pointed out.

Chihiro looked a little stunned.

"Yomi…and Tomo?"

Kaorin nodded. "Shocking, I know."

"Huh…" Chihiro said. "Well, anyway, I suppose I should go meet the rest of my classmates before my husband's 'special child' shows up…"

"Special Child?" Kaorin asked.

"Well, we're watching over her while her father's away on a business trip. She's not really mine, although I would really like to have a child someday…" Chihiro responded.

"Yeah, they are a lot of fun, aren't they?" Kaorin said, rubbing Koharu's head.

Chihiro nodded in agreement. "Well, it was nice to see you again, Kaorin, and I'm glad everything worked out for you."

Chihiro bowed, and went to go talk to the rest of the Azu-girls.

Kaorin watched her walk away.

Chihiro… a friend to the very end… Kaorin thought happily.

"Hey, Koyomiko and Nekosa are off playing over there!!" and Koharu ran off to see what her two friends were up to.

Kaorin sighed. "Guess I better go join up with the others…" and she walked off.

…

At that moment, Satsuki Gokajou, just as she promised, showed up with her five brothers (and Nyamo, who had toted along. Saotome was actually at home, resting, because he felt sick)

"Are you sure about this?" Nyamo asked.

"Absolutely!" Satsuki said determinedly. "So, just point out which ones are your students, and these guys will do the rest!"

…

The Azu-girls had all gathered in a group, and were talking with other people, when five guys came walking up.

Hirokazu "Kazu" Gokajou was in front. He had dark blonde hair, and blue eyes with glasses, and is the oldest of them all.

Next was Daichi "Dai" Gokajou. His hair was maroon, and his eyes were brown. He was wearing a big brown overcoat, with his lucky coin in his pocket.

Next to him was Kenichi "Ken/Keni" Gokajou. He had pale blue hair, and bluish-gray eyes. He also looked very nervous. With this being a school grounds, he couldn't smoke anywhere…

Behind him was Makoto "Mako" Gokajou. His hair was Navy Blue, and his eyes were Gray. He was very muscular, indicating his professional wrestling background.

To the left of Kazu (being held by his collar) was Tomoki "Tommy" Gokajou. His hair was black, and his eyes were blue. And he looked ready to bang any girl that asked him to.

"C'mon, Kazu! Let me go!" Tommy screamed.

"And let you loose around all these women? In your dreams!" Kazu said, still holding on tightly.

"You know, I could always put him in a full-nelson, and pound his head to the ground…" Mako said.

"It would keep him quiet at least…" Keni said.

The five Gokajou brothers came walking up to all the Azu-girls.

"Hitheremynameistommyitsverynicetomeetyouallyouwanttogooutonadate?" Tommy asked.

"Woah, simmer down there, killer!" Kazu said, pulling Tommy back.

"What's up with him?" Tomo asked.

"He kinda goes crazy around women…" Kazu said, desperately trying to pull Tommy back, who was now pulling back.

"Kinda?! He does!!" Mako yelled.

"So…why does he go crazy around women?" Tomo asked.

"Because he's a slight pervert…" Keni said, looking around for a good place to go smoke.

Joe's fists clenched up. He hated these kinds of perverts, with a passion…

"Really?" Tomo said, giving that wildcat smile. "Hey, if I wanted to, say, bang this guy right here and now, would he?"

"Tomo!! This is a school!!" Yomi scorned.

"What?! I can't help it if my tastes for where I like to have sex differ from yours." Tomo said.

"You idiot…" Yomi said, staring in complete and total shock at Tomo.

It was at that particular moment that the part of Tommy's shirt that Kazu had hold of ripped, and Tommy came charging up at Tomo.

Tomo opened her arms wide, and gave that big closed-eye smile.

WHAM!!

Tommy went flying backwards, and landed on the ground.

The entire school grounds went silent.

Tomo opened her eyes to see that Joe had punched him straight in the face.

"What did you do that for?!" Tomo asked.

WHAM!! Joe whipped around, and slugged Tomo straight to the face, knocking her to the ground as well.

"IT'S PERVERTS LIKE HIM THAT I ABSOLUTELY DISPISE WITH ALL MY HEART, AND IT'S GIRLS LIKE YOU WHO ENCOURAGE THAT KIND OF BEHAVIOR!!" Joe yelled at Tomo on the ground.

"So, is that to say you're not perverted at all?" Joe looked behind him to see that Tommy was already standing up behind him, as if the punch had done nothing.

"H-How in the hell did you recover so fast?!" Joe said in utter shock.

"It doesn't matter, what matters is I don't think you like girls…" Tommy said, a slightly evil grin forming on his face.

"Then why would I be marrying one?" Joe asked angrily, as he showed Tommy his engagement ring.

"Oh, I'm sorry, was that your fiancé then?" Tommy asked seriously, pointing to Tomo.

"HELL……..NO!" Joe said slowly.

"No, it would be that woman with the long black hair…" Tomo said, pointing to Sakaki. "I'm currently available, however." She gave her big wildcat grin.

Tommy zoomed up to Tomo, and whispered in her ear.

"Meet me outside the school grounds after I'm done talking to this guy, we'll have some fun…"

Tomo grinned sheepishly.

Tommy then looked over at Sakaki.

"Dude, she's hot…" Tommy said.

WHAM!! Tommy caught Joe's fist as it came up to hit his face.

"You seriously need to control your temper. I'm just saying she's hot." Tommy said in a serious tone. He then started to bend Joe's wrist slightly.

Joe could feel the pain coming from his wrist. The pervert was beating him…

Mako came up and put one hand on Tommy's shoulder.

"That's enough. You've made your point." Mako said.

Tommy stared at Joe for a moment before letting go. He then gave a very 'turned on' grin to Tomo, who 'wildcat smiled' back. The both of them then ran off to have some fun.

Joe held his wrist that had been bent. It wasn't his wrist that hurt so much as his pride.

"Dude, I know he's a pervert, but you seriously gotta lay off the temper, too. He's got a lot of fighting ability in him, much more than you probably have." Mako said to Joe.

Joe simply turned around and stormed off, leaving the school grounds.

"His pride's been seriously injured…" Dai said.

Sakaki watched Joe storm off. She had been in utter shock when he had, for no reason, punched that man named Tommy and Tomo in the face. But now she watched her fiancé storm off, like a beaten puppy with its tail in between its legs.

"Sakaki-san" Chiyo said, putting one hand on Sakaki's arm. "I think you better go talk to him…"

Sakaki nodded, and walked off to follow her fiancé.

"Something about that makes me both pity him and wonder why he did it…" Yomi said, watching Sakaki trail after Joe.

"And I don't ever see him act that way around Kimura…" Kagura said, which caused Kaorin to shiver.

"Probably because Kimura isn't that strong a pervert…" Chihiro said.

"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to disagree with you on that one, Chihiro-san…" Kaorin said, still shivering.

"No, see, Kimura is the kind of pervert that enjoys just watching, and making it blatantly obvious that he does. Tommy, though, he looked to be the kind of pervert that enjoys, as Tomo put it, (_air quotes_) 'banging'." Chihiro said to Kaorin, who looked a little disgusted by the whole idea.

…

Sakaki slowly began walking in the direction she had seen her fiancé go. As she went further, she began to think about it.

This was the first time she had ever seen Joe in a depressed state. Sure, she had seen him angry before, but a usual good slugging to the person he was angry at made it all better.

Sakaki began to run, her natural athletic ability beginning to show.

She realized that this was her first chance to really prove herself as a lover, to finally help in his time of need.

Sakaki ran, noticing she didn't see Joe at all.

She stopped, and noticed him right away.

He was standing in a park, staring at a tree.

…

Joe watched his entire high school, and even a few of his college years flash before him.

It started in high school, where many of the 18 and even, yes, 17 year olds began having sex. All those idiotic guys who de-flowered those women. And the teenage pregnancy rate, at an all-time high in the United States, and close to the highest in the world.

Joe's fists clenched up in anger as these memories flooded into his mind. Trying as hard as he could, he just couldn't get them out.

And then college, where many of the jocks would continually have sex, and continually brag about the nights they've had. And the women who just felt the need to continually do it anyway, for the pure sport that they could finally say that they slept with a jock.

Joe's knuckles cracked, as all these memories of all these idiots he had to be around all these years of his life, while he remained a virgin; not for the reason that he couldn't get a girl, but for the reason that he believed sex should be between two people who love each other deeply, not to simply be an action that brings pleasure and popularity.

The final memory that popped into his head, was not really a memory, more of his imagination grabbing hold.

He saw Tommy and Tomo, with at least 10 children, if not more.

"ARRRRRRGH!!" Joe's fist slammed against the tree.

…

Sakaki covered her mouth with her hand as she gasped. She actually heard the tree crack a bit from Joe's fist hitting against it.

…

Joe fell to his knees, his fist dropping down to the ground. Those memories that he wanted to get rid of, and that last thought, had finally gotten the better of him.

The grass was hit with a few drops of water, coming from the giant figure above them.

…

Sakaki walked up to Joe on his knees, and knelt down behind him. She put one hand on his shoulder.

Joe looked behind him to see that Sakaki had actually found him, and was now kneeling behind him. He could feel his heart and his mind tugging toward her, the both of them simply wanting the comfort she gave.

He looked away for a moment, and saw his tears that had fallen on the blades of grass on the ground.

He then whipped around and hugged Sakaki tightly, his face buried in her shoulders.

Sakaki wrapped her arms around her fiancé, and rubbed his back with one hand.

Joe hugged tighter. Right now, he needed all of Sakaki's love and comfort at this point.

Sakaki closed her eyes. What inspired her at that point, was the fact that she knew of the power that she felt every time she sang.

Sakaki began to sing, in a very comforting and soothing way, her song voice showing the entire way.

"_samishikunai mitai ni_

_omowareteru fudan no_

_shizen na taido mo tokidoki nan da ka...ne_

_tsumannai koto da yo"_

So beautiful…Joe thought, already feeling better as Sakaki continued.

"_musunda RIBON no kami_

_hayari no GUZZU mottetari_

_kawaii kimochi ga dare demo aru deshou?_

_watashi ni mo aru kara"_

All the way over on the school grounds, everybody went silent once more, and now heard that song voice echoing everywhere.

"_konna no kyoumi nai yo ne_

_katai IMEEJI na no kana_

_sasotte hoshikute omoshirosou datte...ne_

_iidasezu tameiki_

"

The three kids that had been playing with spinning tops now stopped, and also listened.

"Okaasan…" Nekosa said. She closed her eyes. "What a beautiful song…"

"_nakamauchi no JOOKU de_

_warawarete mo ii no ni_

_choppiri mukuchi ga otona ni mieteru no?_

_sore dake ja nai kara"_

The song seemed to echo throughout the town, and everybody stopped and listened.

The song was so soothing and peaceful…it felt as if clouds had come and had lifted everybody off their feet and into the air…

"_hitoribocchi datta ima made o_

_kaeyou yuuki no PARASHUUTO_

_hontou wa matteru tte iwanakucha_

_itsumo no koe (kikoete kuru)_

_hashiridasou (minna ni hora)_

_hohoende…"_

The song ended, and everybody continued as to what they were doing, although now they felt as if the day was now going to be so much better…

…

Joe hugged Sakaki as tightly as he could, before finally pulling back. Tears were running down his eyes, but not from his memories anymore…

"That…was so beautiful…" Joe said, wiping his eyes.

"Thank you" Sakaki said, blushing.

"When you sing that song, it feels as if all of my problems just vanish…and I feel so…relaxed…" Joe said.

Sakaki felt all giddish inside. She had, in a way, helped her fiancé overcome a depressive state, much like he had done for her so many times over the year that she had known him.

Joe leaned in, and one long, romantic, heart-felt kiss was shared between the two.

"Well, we'd better get back to the reunion…" Joe said after pulling back.

Sakaki nodded her head, and they both stood up.

Someone came walking up. As the person got closer, Joe recognized him as one of the guys he had been introduced to. The man had a small goatee, and was smoking a cigarette.

"OK, seriously, you need to stop smokin' those things, they're gonna kill ya," Joe said.

"I can't help it, it's stress related…" Kenichi said, as he threw the cigarette on the ground, and stomped on it. "…but I gotta say, you have a beautiful and loving girl, and you two should live long and happy lives together."

"Thanks…" Joe said, looking back at Sakaki, thinking how so true it was.

"But I heard from one of the girls that you're a big Bond fan…" Kenichi said.

"You heard right!" Joe boasted.

"Did you know I actually went to some of the places where they shot the James Bond films?" Keni asked.

"No…way!" Joe said in disbelief.

"Yeah, even got the pictures on me to prove it…" Keni pulled out a set of pictures (copies he had made specifically for this trip) and handed them to Joe.

"It…can't be…this is Scaramanga's hideout!!" Joe said, staring at one picture of a huge noticeable rock (the very front of Scaramanga's island getaway). He continued to flip through the pictures in utter amazement.

"Notice anything else?" Keni asked.

"Absolutely! This is the hotel room in "The Spy Who Loved Me"!" Joe said in utter amazement, flipping to one picture.

"Uh-huh…you know who I saw there?" Keni asked, grinning a bit.

Joe looked up from the pictures.

"Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach" Keni said with a smile.

"Who?" Joe asked, looking slightly confused.

"You know, the ex-Beatle and his wife…" Keni said, slightly disappointed that this guy had never heard of them.

"Oh…"Joe said, still having no idea what Keni was talking about, but still looking and flipping through the pictures. Once he had finished, he handed them back to Keni.

"That's…just amazing…" Joe said. He felt so jealous of Keni, being able to travel to all those places.

"So…" Keni decided he'd better try a quiz, to see if Joe was a 'real' Bond fan, or just a fake. "What gun does Bond always carry with him?"

"That would be the Walther PPK until the movie "Tomorrow Never Dies" when he receives a P99." Joe said, knowing the quiz was coming, so he decided to try him. "What movie was the only one in which James Bond gets married?"

"On her Majesty's Secret Service," Keni responded with a smile. "What theme song was sung by the Beatles?"

"Live and Let Die," Joe said, now smiling as well. This was getting interesting. "What was the only movie in which M was not seen?"

"For Your Eyes Only, they was said to be on leave," Keni said. "What is James Bond's motto when it comes to women?"

"Practice safe sex; sleep with a gun under your pillow," Joe said with a small chuckle. "And finally, the one thing all Bond fans must do when they meet each other?"

Keni and Joe bowed their heads, put one hand over their hearts, and recited:

"Desmond 'Q' Llewellyn, September 12, 1914 to December 19, 1999. You are in our hearts forever. You will be missed."

…

Author's notes: Starred as Q in 17 Bond films. Desmond, this chapter is dedicated to you.

(Moment of silence)

And now, I can't listen to the intro of "The Spy who Loved me" without feeling some emotional pain, due to the fact that they played that song for the tribute to Desmond in "The World is Not Enough"

Anywho…

Sakaki sings her Character song: "kokoro wa shoujo de parachute".

Yes, Tomo is still a willing pervert like she always was. Just because she's kissed Yomi and taking a liking to her doesn't mean Tomo's willing to give up being a pervert.

And finally, the Gokajou brothers are copyright of Hallwings. If you wish to see them in more action, visit my profile for a link to Hallwings' fanfic with them in it.

I noticed that AR and I are still the only ones to have read it and reviewed it. Please, review!! Let him know how he's doing!!

Next Chapter: Azumanga Class Reunion Part 2


	67. Azumanga Daioh Reunion! Part 2

Azumanga Reunion Part 2

Azumanga Daioh Reunion! Part 2

Note: One more very special guest is showing up in this chapter.

Note2: This chapter's rated "M" for some serious sexual references.

…

"So, you're a gambler?" Yomi asked Dai.

Dai nodded. "Yup. Been all around the world to all the greatest gambling casinos, but none better than the one's in America. I've been to Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Reno, Lake Tahoe, Monte Carlo…"

"I get it. So, anything else you're interested in?" Yomi asked.

The girls had all split up, and were now talking to the five brothers (well, except for Tomo and Tommy; they were off making out somewhere)

"Yeah, I'm really into game shows. Not the Japanese ones, but a lot of the other ones." Dai responded. "I'm also into Dominos! And not the American pizza, the game."

Yomi chuckled at this slight joke.

…

Over with Kagura

…

"You definitely need some more practice." Mako said.

They had been arm-wrestling, and Mako had pushed Kagura's arm down once more.

"Ah, crap!! I haven't been working out much over these past few weeks! I really need to get back into training!" Kagura yelled, as she grabbed her hair.

"Don't worry about it, Kagura!" Kaorin said, trying to calm Kagura down. "Once we get…"

Kaorin suddenly stopped, and realized what she was about to say. Kagura also realized what Kaorin was about say.

"We gotta ask Joe and Sakaki about their marriage!!" They both said, and quickly got up and ran.

"Wait, what'd I just miss?" Mako asked nobody.

"Don't worry about it, Mako…" Kazu said, walking to him, and looking around. "Have you seen Tommy anywhere? I'm beginning to worry about him…"

"I wouldn't be…" Mako said. "If I know Tommy, he's either making out or already banging the girl that wanted him so badly…"

…

In a maintenance closet, with the light conspicuously on…

…

Tommy and Tomo were making out (both still had all clothes on).

"So, you ready for this?!" Tommy asked as he pulled back.

"So ready for it!" Tomo said with a closed-eye smile.

Tommy pulled his pants down, and Tomo just stared.

"Holy crap!!" was all Tomo could muster.

"First time seeing something like this?" Tommy asked, smiling big.

"Y-y-yeah…" Tomo's eyes went wide as she continued to stare. As Tommy moved in and banged Tomo against the wall for a kiss, a picture fell out of Tommy's shirt pocket.

"Woah, what's this?" Tomo asked, as she bent down (trying to avoid touching Tommy at that point) and grabbed it.

"Holy crap!!" Tomo said in excitement, her face beaming. "You've got a picture of a naked woman in your pocket!! You're so normally perverted!!"

"'Normally' perverted?" Tommy asked in confusion.

"Yeah, there's this teacher named Kimura…" Tomo started.

"Oh, that guy. I don't like him. He's a little freaky." Tommy stated in a slight disgust.

"Yeah, I know." Tomo said glumly, then she picked back up again in excitement. "But still, you're so perverted to be carrying a naked woman picture in your pocket!"

"Yeah, that's my sister…" Tommy said with a smile.

"Wait, what?" Tomo said.

"That's a picture of my sister…" Tommy repeated.

Tomo looked at Tommy in disgust.

"Dude, that's your sister?! That's gross!!" Tomo dropped the picture, and went running out of the maintenance closet, and down the hall.

Tommy went running out of the maintenance closet.

"What?! You were excited before I told you it was my sister!!" Tommy screamed.

Two girls who had been walking down the hallway screamed.

Tommy looked at girls, realized they were staring at him, and then looked down…

He still wasn't wearing any pants.

"Oh…that was bad…" Tommy said, as the girls went running away from him in disgust.

Tommy quickly ran back into the closet, grabbed his pants, put them on, and ran out after Tomo.

…

Joe, and Sakaki came walking back from their little walk (Keni stopped to smoke outside the school grounds), joining up with the rest of the group.

"Ah, Sakaki-san, Joe-san, we need to ask you something!" Kaorin said.

"Ugh!! Gross!! Disgusting!!" Tomo said, shaking her head as if trying to get mental images out of her head, as she came running back out of the school, and joined up with the rest of the group.

"What happened now, Tomo?" Yomi asked, sighing heavily. Then Yomi smiled "Did you see him naked?"

"No, worse…" Tomo said, utterly disgusted. "He has a naked picture of his sister in his pocket."

"I thought we burned all those…" Mako whispered to Kazu and Dai.

"I wouldn't put it past Tommy to make copies..."" Kazu whispered back.

"Neither would I…" Dai whispered in agreement.

"Well, that makes him seem almost Kimura-ish…" Joe said, thinking a bit.

"Tomo!!" Tommy screamed, as he came running out of the school.

Tomo ducked behind Yomi, using her as a shield.

"Don't come near me, you sick minded pervert!!" Tomo screamed.

"Aw, c'mon! You were ready to go not two seconds before that!" Tommy said.

"Sorry, but I'm inclined to agree with Tomo-chan on this one…" Joe said. It seemed that the thought that Tommy was more of a Kimura-type pervert eased his mind a bit.

"Oh, it's you." Tommy said, his eyes narrowing a bit.

"Don't worry. I've calmed down." Joe said, although still staring at Tommy with a glare.

Chihiro came walking up to the group.

"Guys, good news, my husband's 'special child' will be showing up here pretty soon!"

"Really, that's awesome!" Kagura responded.

Everybody heard the sound of 'rubber burning pavement' off in the distance.

All the girls (except, strangly, for Tomo) shivered a bit.

All the color drained away from Chiyo, as she started shaking uncontrollably.

"Y-your husband…um…d-does he know about…?" Joe was also staring off like Chiyo was, although he seemed a bit more composed.

"Know about what?" Chihiro asked.

Chiyo, still staring forward, and shaking uncontrollably, started mumbling.

"the car….the car….the car…"

Chihiro bent down to eye level with Chiyo.

"Chiyo, what do you mean, 'the car'?!" Chihiro asked.

The sound of rubber squealing sounded once again.

"The car..it's coming…to claim another victim…" Chiyo chanted slowly, as if possessed.

"Chiyo-chan, there is no such thing as a car that claims victims!" Chihiro yelled.

Chiyo stared straight into Chihiro's eyes. The look that Chihiro received from Chiyo's terrified eyes sent chills up her spine.

"Yukari-sensei….is coming…" Chiyo said, still having the look of pure fear in her eyes.

"Y-y-y-y-Yukari?!" Tommy screamed, now wearing fear in his eyes, too.

"Dude, we gotta get outta here!!" Mako said, running for his life.

"It was nice meeting you all, bye!!" Dai said in a panic, and started running with Mako.

The other two brothers followed without a single word.

"How do they know about the Yukari-mobile?" Tomo wondered.

"I-It's really that famous, Tomo-chan…" Yomi said, looking slightly terrified herself.

…

Keni stood outside the school grounds, smoking his cigarette, when he noticed a silver car with a whole lotta dings and dents in it coming in his direction at what seemed like 100mph.

A look of pure terror crossed Keni's face. The cigarette dropped from Keni's mouth, and he turned and ran as fast as his smoke-blackened lungs would allow.

…

The silver car slammed on its breaks a good two blocks back from the school entrance, and stopped precisely in front of the school.

Chiyo passed out. Everybody else (except for Tomo and Chihiro) slowly started backing up.

Yukari got out of the vehicle, and walked over to the other side. She waved at everybody.

"Hey, boys and girls, guess what I've got?!" Yukari said, a big smile coming across her face.

Yukari opened the passenger door, and a little girl with green hair, and 4 separate pigtails tied in the back of her head slowly got out, wearing the face that everybody else that had ever been scarred by Yukari's car wore.

"Oh…My…god!!" Chihiro exclaimed, running up to the child and bending down to eye-level. "Are you OK?!"

"S-s-s-scarier…than…the swing…" the little girl said, shaking slightly.

Oh, good, she's ok, just mentally scarred, Chihiro thought, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Hey, guess what?" Chihiro said to the little girl. "I've got ice cream!"

The little girl snapped right out of it, and stared at Chihiro.

"Ice cream?!" the little girl asked.

"I'll give it to you when we introduce you to everybody…" Chihiro said happily.

Chihiro gave Yukari a very angry look. Chihiro's look coupled with her knowledge of the human mind gave a look that made Yukari shiver hard.

"You will be punished for your actions, Yukari-sensei…" Chihiro said creepily, and walked away with the little girl, holding her hand.

…

Chihiro walked over to the rest of the Azu-group, holding the little girl's hand.

"Chiyo! Chiyo-chan!!" Joe kept trying to get Chiyo to come back to this world, she was still completely passed out.

Joe thought for a minute, then got an idea. He knew Chiyo would hate him for it, but he had to do it anyway.

"Chiyo-chan, Shaun's getting into Yukari's vehicle!!" Joe shouted.

Chiyo instantly snapped awake and sat up. "Shaundontgointhere!!" Chiyo yelled.

Joe breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now that Chiyo's come back to the world of the living; everyone…" Chihiro said. "I'd like to introduce you to my husband's 'special child', Yotsuba Koiwai."

"Hi! I'm Yotsuba!!" Yotsuba said, displaying her closed-eyed happy smile.

"Um…hi there…" Chiyo said, unsure about this little girl.

Yotsuba opened her eyes and stared at Chiyo. Chiyo stared back at Yotsuba.

Joe stepped to the side, and looked back and forth between Chiyo and Yotsuba.

In fact, the rest of the Azu-group had to do the exact same thing.

"She…um…" Yomi couldn't quite form what she wanted to say.

Chiyo and Yotsuba tilted their heads at the exact same time in the exact same direction.

Osaka started shivering.

"C-c-c-c-clones…" Osaka stuttered.

Yotsuba looked at Osaka.

"Clones?" Yotsuba asked.

Tomo waved her hand in front of her face. "Just ignore her."

"Who are you?" Yotsuba asked.

Tomo smiled a big wildcat smile. "I'm the one and only Tomo 'Wildcat' Takino!"

"Oh, Tomo Takino!" Yotsuba said, giving that 'Yotsuba' smile. "The one Chihiro-sama calls annoying and over energetic!"

Tomo's 'wildcat' smile was replaced with an irritated look at Chihiro.

"hehe…um, Yotsuba-chan, why don't you go get your ice cream?" Chihiro said nervously.

"ICE CREAM?!" Yotsuba asked happily.

"ICE CREAM?!" Chihiro heard behind her.

She looked behind her to see the three Azu-girls staring at her with the same look Yotsuba had.

"hehe…um, over there." Chihiro pointed to a cooler that had ice cream in it, and they saw Aimi Handelbarz reach in and grab an ice cream sandwich.

Yotsuba and the Azu-kids all zipped over to the ice-cream cooler, and opened it up.

Nekosa grabbed a cookie ice cream sandwich. Koyomiko grabbed a fudge pop.

And Yotsuba took the last Klondike Bar.

"Hey, I was gonna have that!!" Koharu said angrily.

"What would you do for a Klondike bar?" Yotsuba asked happily.

Koharu laughed a bit.

"You're funny." Koharu said.

Yotsuba looked over to Koyomiko, who looked back at her.

Yotsuba tilted her head to one side. Koyomiko tilted her head in the opposite direction.

"Nothing alike…" Yotsuba said grimly, and took a bite of her Klondike bar.

…

Nekosa took her ice cream sandwich over to a spot that nobody seemed to be on the school grounds. She walked over, sat down, and ate her sandwich. But as she finished, she smelled something…

"Osaka-san?" Nekosa asked. She looked over, and could very plainly see Osaka standing very far away. Although a cat's sense of smell is good, it's nowhere near as good as a dog's.

So Nekosa knew it couldn't be Osaka. But then why did she smell Osaka in the first place?

Nekosa stood up and began sniffing the air. She circled it a bit before realizing she had been sitting on the smell. She began digging…

…

Chihiro walked over to see that Yotsuba was having a good time with Koharu and Koyomiko.

Chihiro saw a box of fireworks hidden behind the ice cream cooler. It was then that Chihiro got her most evil idea.

"Hey, Yotsuba, I see fireworks…" Chihiro said evilly, pointing at the box.

…

Nekosa finally uncovered the top of what smelled like Osaka. It was a little tin box.

However, the little tin box would not come out.

Nekosa sighed heavily. This was hard…

Still, her cat-like curiosity still had the better of her, and she continued to dig.

…

"Yukari-chan, you would think you would learn how to drive better over the years!" Nyamo scorned.

"Relax, Nyamo…" Yukari said, waving one hand at the teacher. "Look, one ice cream and the kid was fine. Besides, she didn't ask me to slow down or anything. She just kept on screaming!"

"Um…last time I checked, screaming usually means stop…" Yomi said, sweat-dropping.

"Yukari! Yukari!" Yotsuba screamed happily, waving for Yukari to come over.

"See? She wants me already." Yukari said, so full of herself.

"Come here!" Yotsuba continued to scream.

Yotsuba pointed to Yukari's car.

"Look, isn't your car pretty?" Yotsuba asked.

"Why of course its….GAH!!"

In a classical Yotsuba move, she had placed a "New Dragon" firework box on Yukari's hood, and it was now shooting sparks everywhere.

But thanks to the help of Koyomiko and Koharu, two more boxes of "New Dragon" had been placed on Yukari's hood and trunk, one in each spot.

Yukari, to put it as lightly as possible, was totally freaking out, and running around her car, calling out for the fire department to show up.

"Please explode…please explode…" Chiyo prayed.

"Wow, those fireworks really make Yukari's car seem a whole lot less scary…" Joe said, smiling at Yotsuba, who continued to stare at the boxes of fireworks as they went off.

All of the students had their attention on the now lighted up Yukari car.

And everybody thoroughly enjoyed the show that was put on. A few even clapped. And finally when it was over, they all went back about their business.

"THAT'S IT!! THAT KID IS SO DEAD!!" Yukari screamed in anger, now aiming her sights on Yotsuba.

Chihiro snuck up behind Yukari, and cracked Yukari's shoulder with one hand.

Yukari fell to the ground, totally asleep.

"Don't mess with her…my husband wouldn't like it…" Chihiro said in a very scary manner.

"I like her! She's funny!" Yotsuba said happily, pointing to the sleeping Yukari.

…

Koyomiko and Koharu came walking back to see what Nekosa was up to, since the fireworks show had died down.

"What'cha doin', Nekosa?" Koharu asked.

Nekosa pulled a tin box out of the ground that she had been digging up. Nekosa was now dirty from all the digging she had done.

"This smells like Osaka-san…" Nekosa said, as she set the tin box down on the ground. She opened it up to reveal a videotape. And written on the videotape were the words: "2nd year, 3rd class"

Nekosa put the lid back on the tin box.

"I think we should take this to our mothers, they would know what to do!" Nekosa said.

Koharu and Koyomiko nodded in agreement.

…

"Okaasan!!" Nekosa yelled.

Sakaki turned around to see her (completely dirty) daughter running towards her, holding a tin box.

"Look what I found!!" Nekosa said, holding the box up.

"Nekosa, you're dirty…" Sakaki said in shock.

"Okaasan!! Pay attention!! Look!!" Nekosa yelled, holding the box up as far as she could.

"Eh? Isn't that…?" Chiyo started.

"It is…" Osaka said, walking up. "That's our time capsule! I thought it vanished in time, along with the tree it was buried under!"

Sakaki ignored Osaka's comment, and took the box from Nekosa.

"I think we should watch this…" Sakaki said in her cool voice. "…after you take a bath!" she scowled at Nekosa.

"Awwwwwww, Okaasaaaaaaan!" Nekosa whined.

…

And so the Azu-group left the reunion, waving good-bye to Chihiro and Yotsuba.

"I like them." Yotsuba said, wearing a big smile.

"I hope that you should get to meet those guys again someday…" Chihiro said, smiling back at Yotsuba.

…

Author's notes: If you don't know who Yotsuba is…

Chihiro: SHAME SHALL FOREVER BE RIDDEN ON YOUR FAMILY!!

JBK: Now, Chihiro, you should seriously settle down…

Chihiro: Pfft!! If they were so fond of my husband's work, they would know precisely who Yotsuba is!!

Yotsuba: (_pump fist_) Yeah!! They would know who Yotsuba is!!

JBK: Um…(_points to her_) aren't you Yotsuba?

Yotsuba: Huh?

JBK: (_sweat-drop_) Never mind…

Anyway, the "Fireworks on Yukari's car" is reference to book 3, Chapter 16, Yotsuba and Asagi! I've got the page book marked XD

And the tin box that Nekosa found, that is reference to "Azumanga Web Daioh"

The group will be seeing that movie in the future!! A little trip down memory lane for all of them…

Finally, I know Kagura and Kaorin completely forgot to ask Joe and Sakaki about their marriage. That immediately comes into play in the next chapter.

Next Chapter: The Wedding Plan!


	68. The Wedding Plan

The Wedding Plan!

Special Guest: Another person from Hallwings' fanfic!

…

Sakaki was in the bathroom, giving Nekosa a bath.

"I'm surprised, Nekosa…" Sakaki said. "I thought you'd be afraid of the water…"

"I was at first, but then I was taught that the water is nothing to be afraid of!" Nekosa said, smiling cutely at her mother.

Sakaki blushed, and started to scrub Nekosa's dirty hair.

…

Joe continued to look around the house, and finally sighed.

"We don't have any VHS players anywhere…" he said.

He put the video back into the tin box that Nekosa had found it in, and then put it underneath their couch. It was at that moment that Kagura, Kaorin, and Koharu came bursting through the door.

"We completely forgot to ask you at the reunion! When are you guys planning on having your wedding?!" Kagura yelled.

Sakaki came out of the bathroom, holding Nekosa, now completely and totally clean.

"Um…well, seeing as how we both kind of need to have the same day off, we really don't have that part planned. It's gonna have to be on a day we both have off." Joe said. "Why do you ask?"

Kagura and Kaorin both smiled, and held up their engagement rings on their fingers.

"OH! You, too?! Good for you!" Sakaki said, smiling big. Her two best friends were now going to get married, too.

"But, see, problem is, they don't exactly allow…well..." Kagura started, looking away.

"What Kagura's trying to say is that Japanese law won't allow us to marry." Kaorin said glumly.

Sakaki gasped. Joe looked over at her and already knew what was going through her mind.

The fact that those two, although they wanted to be married, simply could not be married.

"And there's…nothing you can do?" Sakaki asked, looking down to the floor. Everybody could already tell she was to the verge of tears.

"Well, see, that's kind of why we came over. We wanted to know if you had any ideas…" Kaorin asked.

Sakaki tried to think of something, anything…but she just couldn't. Tears were already welling up in her eyes.

Joe could think of a few things, but he desperately needed his one source of all information known to man. The Internet.

Joe got up, and started walking out of the room.

"Joe?" Sakaki asked. Joe didn't answer, and walked out of the room.

"Guess that means…he doesn't have any…" Kaorin's eyes began to well up with tears. She couldn't be married to the one she truly loved, and it just hurt deep down.

Sakaki could already feel her pain. It was hard enough for Kaorin, being the way she was this day in age, but to not be able to marry the one you love was even tougher.

"AH-HA!!" Joe said, running back into the room, and pump-fisting into the air. "I've got it!"

"What?! What do you have?!" Kaorin asked hopefully.

"As it turns out, there is a country in Europe that has actually legalized marriages like yours! So all we need to do is have someone fill our your marriage registration over there, and you can have the wedding here! It'll work out!!" Joe said, pump-fisting once again into the air.

"Really?! What country did that?!" Kaorin asked.

Joe blushed slightly. "I really don't want to say…"

…

Tomo: It's the Netherlands!!! (_bursts out laughing_)

Yomi: You are so immature…

…

And so it would come into play that September 4th, which just happened to be a Saturday, was the one day that Joe, Sakaki, Kagura, and Kaorin all got off.

And so it was setup, that the dual marriage of Joe and Sakaki, and Kagura and Kaorin would be on that day.

Osaka and Arata couldn't come (nobody was sure why, but they weren't about to ask), and Chiyo couldn't come because she was working a double shift on that day.

…

Kaorin couldn't stop smiling as she stared at herself in the mirror. The wedding gown on her made her so happy. Sakaki was also staring at herself in the same mirror, blushing profusely. To think, this was her wedding day. She just couldn't believe it.

"Sakaki-san, what do you think?" Kaorin asked.

"I think…this is going to be the happiest day in our lives" Sakaki said.

…

Kagura and Joe also dressed in the same room (and Joe looked away when Kagura got undressed, and Kagura did the same for Joe)

Kagura was adjusting her tie. She had decided that both her and Kaorin wearing a wedding gown would be a bit weird, so she decided to wear a tux.

"God, these ties are a pain!" Kagura complained.

Joe sighed, and walked over to Kagura, and adjusted her tie so that it fit perfectly.

"Now, you can't breathe for the next 8 hours, or the tie will come undone…" Joe said.

Kagura instantly held her breath.

"I was kidding…" Joe said with a chuckle.

Kagura let go of the breath she was holding. "That was SO not funny!"

"Well, I needed a bit of humor for myself to lighten up the mood…" Joe said.

He and Kagura stared at themselves in the mirror.

"You nervous?" Joe asked.

"Unbelievably…" Kagura sighed.

"Me too. I can't believe I'm finally getting married." Joe said, his nervousness obviously showing.

"I just can't believe I'm marrying a woman." Kagura said. "I never saw this happening in high school."

"heh…Neither did I." Joe said, smiling.

Joe went into the bathroom, and shot one spray of "No-nosebleed" into his nose, and then offered some to Kagura.

"Um… no thanks, I don't get nosebleeds." Kagura said.

"OK, but don't say I didn't offer you any…" Joe warned.

…

He and Kagura walked out of the room and were walking down the hall when they ran into Jessica (Sakaki's mother)

"Well, good luck to the both of you. And, Joe…" she said, "Make my daughter happy."

Joe bowed. "You can count on it, Mrs. Sakaki."

Jessica laughed a bit, turned around, and walked off.

But no sooner did she walk off that someone put their hand on Joe's shoulder. Their giant, well-built hand.

"You'd better make it a day for her to remember…" he said in a deep, tough tone, "or I'll make it one you'll never forget."

Daichi walked past Kagura and the now-shivering Joe. He hadn't changed into his tux yet, so he was still wearing his white shirt that said, in English "Guns don't kill people. I do."

"You'd better hope Sakaki-san never divorces you…" Kagura warned.

"Why's that?" Joe asked.

"Because if she does, you're dead." Kagura said, thumbing toward Daichi.

"I think I'm gonna be sick…" Joe whined, having to put one hand on the wall to keep himself from falling to his knees.

And no sooner did he say that than Daichi met up with a friend that stood 203 cm (6'8") and looked muscular, although he did appear to be a bit old.

"Ah, Hiroto 'Giant' Gokajou, so glad you could come," Daichi said, bowing deeply.

"Thank you." Hiroto said, bowing back. "So, which guy did you say was marrying your daughter?"

Daichi turned and pointed at the now-terrified Joe.

"Hm…not much weight to him…" Hiroto said in a disappointed voice, but still loud enough for Joe to hear. "If the wedding doesn't go well, he won't live long…"

Kagura had to put one hand on Joe's back to keep him from passing out.

"Do you still have that specialty wrestling move of yours?" Daichi asked.

"You mean the 'Torture Room' maneuver? Sure do…" Hiroto said, grinning a bit. The two started walking away, but just before getting out of earshot, Hiroto said "The last guy I used it on is still in the hospital."

Joe fell to his hands and knees.

"I don't wanna do this anymore…" Joe whined. "My life is literally on the line in this marriage…"

"Why do you think that none of the guys tried dating Sakaki-san in high school?" Kagura pointed out. "Because someone found out that Daichi is Sakaki's father, and that he's good friends with a pro wrestling champ known as Hiroto 'Giant' Gokajou. Face it man, I would just give up on Sakaki-san now."

Joe then gained his strength back, and stood up. "No…I've come too far to give up now. I love Tanaka, and not even her father and that pro-wrestler are going to stop me now."

"'The Gaint' put the last guy he met into the hospital, and he's still not out…" Kagura pointed out.

Joe fell back to the floor.

"Could you, um…carry me to the wedding? I can't stand right now…" Joe said nervously.

My heart says yes, my body says I'm nuts, Joe thought.

…

"Very nice, Hiroto." Daichi said, smiling big now that they were out of earshot of Joe.

"I saw the look on his face!" Hiroto said, laughing heartly. "I don't think he knows that the 'Torture Room' is only painful, it doesn't put people into the hospital unless used for a long time."

"Yeah, well, I don't think that the knowledge of both of us being here is going to deter him from marrying my daughter. I've seen it in his eyes. He loves her too much to give up so easily." Daichi said, looking down at the ground. "Maybe he really is the perfect one for her."

"Yeah, I know, it's hard to give up the one's you love…" Hiroto said, thinking back to his own wife. "Still, this looks to be a good wedding, so let's enjoy it."

"So, I heard your second son has the same name I do…" Daichi said, changing the subject.

"Yeah, your name just kept popping into my head all throughout my wife's pregnancy with him, so I just went with it." Hiroto said.

Daichi and Hiroto chuckled, enjoying time as good friends.

…

Everybody had now sat down in the wedding area, Daichi and Hiroto in the farthest back, now dressed in tuxes. The priest was standing up at the front, talking to someone else.

"Who's the priest talking to, Kaa-san?" Koyomiko asked.

"It's looks to be a rabbi, but I thought those guys were only for Jewish weddings…" Yomi said, adjusting her glasses to see better.

The rabbi nodded, and headed down the lane. He stopped at the row with Tomo in it, and motioned for her to follow.

"I think the rabbi wants you, Mama…" Koyomiko said.

Tomo grinned a bit, but followed the rabbi out of the wedding hall.

…

"Takino Tomo…" The rabbi said. "I've been informed that you are usually the one to pull stunts at events like this. Do you have any sort of tricks planned today?"

Tomo gave a huge 'wildcat' smile. "Silly rabbi, tricks are for kids…"

"Oh, ha ha, I've NEVER heard that one before…" the rabbi said sarcastically.

…

"OK, Koharu and Nekosa…" Joe said. "…when the priest says 'if anybody says that these two should not be wed together in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace' you wait. If anybody says 'I object', Nekosa, your Okaasan and I can't get married, and Koharu, neither of your mothers can get married either."

"What does that mean?" They both asked.

"It means that your parents will be separated FOREVER!!" Joe said, placing special emphasis on 'forever'

Koharu and Nekosa gasped. To be separated forever, that was just the most horrible thing in their minds.

"But if you can get them to withdraw their objections, the wedding will go on. Got that?" Joe asked.

Koharu and Nekosa nodded.

"OK, then…" Joe smiled.

…

Meanwhile, a father of one girl and the mother of another sat down next to each other.

"Um…hi there. I'm Itsuki Kagura. I'm Kagura's father." Itsuki introduced.

"Hi. I'm Kari Aida. I'm Kaorin's mother." Kari said, smiling at Itsuki.

"So, um…your husband not coming?" Ituski asked.

"My husband's dead." Kari said glumly.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry. I know how that feels. My wife died too." Itsuki said.

"Really?" Kari asked interested.

Itsuki nodded.

Moment of silence.

"So…have you…been looking for someone else?" Kari asked.

"Not really. I'm kind of past my prime." Itsuki said glumly.

"You're never past your prime. Not if you find the right person…" Kari said hopefully.

Itsuki looked over at Kari. How she looked so beautiful…

"Um...then, maybe…after the wedding…you'd like to go out somewhere?" Itsuki asked, rubbing the back of his head with one hand.

Kari looked over at Itsuki and blushed slightly.

"Um…sure" Kari said.

Itsuki looked over at Kari, wide-eyed. Then is face relaxed, and he smiled.

"OK, then…" Itsuki said, as they both watched the wedding start.

Out of nowhere, Itsuki grabbed Kari's hand, and held it.

Kari blushed as she stared at her hand being held by Itsuki. She then smiled.

It felt so nice to be loved again…

…

Author's notes: Uh-oh, it seems that Joe has got Nekosa and Koharu working for him now. What sort of evil plan does he have in mind?

And Tomo with the rabbi was an evil rip on the "Trix" commercials, in case you missed it ;)

Oh, and Hiroto 'Gaint' Gokajou is full property of Hallwings. He does have a wrestling move known as the 'Torture Room', and it is not fun to be put in that.

Next Chapter: The Wedding, The Final Chapter of the Marriage Saga


	69. The Wedding, End Marriage Saga

The Wedding, the Final Chapter in the Marriage Saga

Note:**Bold, English**

Note2: May be rated "M" for one cuss word in there (used for a certain persons catchphrase ;) )

…

And thus, the wedding commenced.

Nekosa and Koharu were the flower girls, spreading little flower petals all down the lane.

"Woah…" Koyomiko said, staring at Nekosa and Koharu. "When Mama and Kaa-san get married, I wanna be the flower girl at your wedding!"

"And you will be…" Yomi said, smiling big. "Remember now, you gotta be quiet during the wedding."

"Got it!" Koyomiko said, giving Yomi a 'thumbs up'.

And Joe and Kagura now stood at the front of the wedding hall, when the organist started playing 'Here comes the bride'

Sakaki and Kaorin now walked through the doorway, the air sparkling around them.

Joe looked over at Kagura out of the corner of his eye. And just like he had predicted, Kagura stared at Kaorin, wide-eyed. Her nose began to drip blood.

"Kagura!!" Joe whispered, and rubbed one finger below his nose.

Kagura checked that spot, and realized she had a bit of a nosebleed. The priest took out some tissues, and handed them to Kagura, who quickly cleaned it up.

And when Sakaki and Kaorin reached the pedistal, the priest began.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"

…

Outside, Laharl stepped down outside the wedding hall.

"Hmhm…Today, I finally get my revenge on that man! Now I just need to wait …"

The guy put a walkie-talkie up to his ear, and a few minutes later, heard the part from the priest he wanted to hear.

"**After you!**" Laharl said.

"**With pleasha**!" The man next to Laharl said. He had a very thick German/Russian accent.

The man put on a special helmet, and started running.

…

"And do you, Tanaka Sakaki, take Joe Ichiro to be your lawful wedded husband?" The priest asked.

"I do." Sakaki said, her eyes glistening.

"And do you, Joe Ichiro, take Tanaka Sakaki to be your lawful wedded wife?"

Joe heard Daichi and Hiroto crack their knuckles loudly in the back.

"I….d-d-do." Joe said nervously.

"And do you, Natsuko Kagura, take Kaorin Aida to be your lawful wedded wife?" The priest asked.

"I…do." Kagura said, her breath being taken away.

"And do you, Kaorin Aida, take Natsuko Kagura to be your lawful wedded wife?" The priest asked.

"I do…" Kaorin said, staring into Kagura's eyes.

The priest now got to the final part that made Nekosa and Koharu tense up. "Should anyone have reason why these two (_pointing to Joe and Sakaki_) or these two (_pointing to Kaorin and Kagura_) should not be wed in holy matrimony, speak now, or forever hold your peace."

boom! Everybody heard something like someone smashing through walls.

Boom! And it got louder. Everybody tensed up.

BOOM!! The doors came flying off of the hinges. Kagura and Joe grabbed their wives, and jumped out of the way of the flying doors.

"**I object to this weddin'!**" The one guy said.

"**As do I!**" Laharl said, walking in behind the man.

"Laharl! And…" Kagura said, looking over at the other guy. "**Who…are…you?**" Kagura asked in her broken English.

"**Me?!**" The man said. "**I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!!**"

Kagura tensed up, and got ready for a fight.

"**Believe you knew mah brotha!**" The Juggernaut exclaimed.

Kagura gasped, her guard dropped.

Joe stared in amazement. Heiko had been related to the Juggernaut?!!

Everybody also started smelling something in the air. Something NASTY.

"Oh, god, what is that smell?!" Yomi gasped out.

"AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! I haven't taken a shower in months! With my horrible body odor, you'll never be able to beat me now!! AHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Laharl laughed.

The Juggernaut put a clothespin over his nose.

"**But now it's time for revenge for mah brotha!!**" The Juggernaut yelled. He started charging.

But the saying that 'once he gets going, nothing can stop him' just changed, as someone grabbed his ankle, tripping him up, and then throwing him out of the wedding hall.

"**What the hell?!**" The Juggernaut screamed, as he hit the ground, and picked himself up

He saw two small figures, with dark aura's coming out of the both of them.

The small figures of Koharu and Nekosa.

…

Everybody cleared out of the wedding hall, leaving only Joe, Sakaki, Kagura, Kaorin, Yomi, Tomo, Koyomiko, the priest, and the organ player.

"Oh, that could be a problem…" Laharl said nervously, looking at the Juggernaut. "At least I'm untouchable, though!"

"Dammit!! I wanted so badly to get my revenge on you today, you stupid jerk!!" Tomo yelled, running out into the walkway.

"Tomo-chan!" Joe yelled. "Maybe you can get your revenge on him!"

"Huh?" Both Tomo and Laharl said.

Joe went running up to Tomo.

"I think I may know of a way to beat him." Joe said. "We just need to hit him without touching him…through the power of song!"

"You mean we're gonna make Yomi sing?" Tomo asked.

"Close, but no…" Joe said.

"Country?" Tomo asked.

"Hell no! Even I'm not that evil…" Joe said. He began whispering in Tomo's ear.

"Oh, that's good! That's really good!! OK, I'm all for it!" Tomo said.

Laharl stood there, a little unsure of what they were planning.

Joe handed Tomo a microphone, and then pointed to the organ player, who pulled out a guitar.

"What the hell?!" Laharl yelled, as the organ/guitar player started playing.

And then Tomo started singing (In English)…

"_My life is brilliant…_What, was I too early? Sorry. Should I…do you wanna restart, or…keep goin'? OK, now? Now? Now?

_My life is brilliant, your life's a joke, you're just pathetic, you're always broke,_

_your dis-ga-ea uniform, really ain't impressin' me, you're suffrin' from delusions of adequacy…_

_You're pitiful!__You're pitiful! You're pitiful, it's true! Never had a date, that you couldn't inflate_…"

Laharl screamed and reeled back…

"_and you smell repulsive too…"_

"Well, that one's obvious…" Joe said, holding his nose.

"_What a bummer bein' you!"_

"No…stop…grrr….I will not be defeated that easily!" Laharl said, pulling his sword out from behind his back. But as Tomo started again, Laharl couldn't make it and began reeling again.

"_Well you just can't dance, and forget romance…everybody you know still calls you…farty pants._

_but you always have a job, well I mean, as long as you still can work that slurpy machine._

_You're pitiful! You're pitiful! You're pitiful, it's true! Ya' have fun dressed, eating chips off your chest…while you're playin' Halo 2…"_

…

Halo 2 Fans: Hey!!

…

"_no one's classier than you!_"

Laharl now tried getting back up again ,but now everybody joined on this next part.

"_La la la la, la la la la, la la la la Loooooser!_"

"GAAAAAHHHH!!!" Laharl screamed, falling to the floor.

Tomo started again:

"_You're pitiful, You're pitiful, you're pitiful, it's true! You're dog would much rather, play fetch by itself…"_

…

Laharl's Dog: How does she know?

…

"_you still live with your mom and you're fourty-two!_"

"I'm only….24…" Laharl gasped out.

"_Guess you'll never grow a clue… Well it just sucks to be you!_"

Tomo now finished the song, and looked at the now-grounded Laharl. Tomo felt so much better inside.

Daichi and Hiroto came back, now toting buckets of soap water. They dumped it all on Laharl.

"That's better…" Joe said. "Now, all we need to do is to get you and your friend to withdraw their objections…"

Koharu came back, toting the now fully-beaten-up Juggernaut.

"**I withdraw my objection!! Please, just don't let this child touch the mini-juggers!**" The Juggernaut screamed, covering his crotch.

"What happened to his armor?" Joe asked Koharu.

Nekosa came walking back in.

"You don't need to worry about cutting my claws, Otousan!" Nekosa said, now showing Joe her trimmed claws.

"hehehe…" Laharl said weakly. "I'll never withdraw my objection…never…"

"We'll see about that…" Daichi said.

Hiroto picked up Laharl, and showed him the special 'Torture room'

The room was filled with screams coming from Laharl. Tomo, Joe, Koyomiko, and Yomi all had to cover their ears. Sakaki, Kagura, and Kaorin all stared at Laharl get put into the most painful position he had ever been in his life.

"OK! I withdraw my objection!!!" Laharl screamed, and Hiroto let go, letting Laharl land on his feet.

"Now I finish!!" Koyomiko screamed. She jumped off of her seat and ran out to Laharl. Hiroto got out of the way.

"Koyomiko special!!!" She screamed.

Laharl's body was so weak, that he could only watch as Koyomiko laid the beatdown on him.

"Fire of Tomo!!!"

Laharl felt like he was hit a hundred times in three seconds. Each punch burned a bit.

"And the Air of Yomi!!!"

Koyomiko threw an all-too-recognizable uppercut, right at Laharl's chin. Koyomiko had to jump to actually hit him, but Laharl fell to the ground, fully defeated.

"And now we can get on with this…" Joe said happily. He ran back up to Sakaki, and helped her up. Kagura and Kaorin, who had been watching this entire time, now stood up as well.

"I now pronounce you (_Joe and Sakaki_) husband and wife, and pronounce you (_Kaorin and Kagura_) wife, and uh…wife. Those marrying may kiss." The priest said.

Joe lifted up Sakaki's veil. Kagura did the same with Kaorin's veil.

And both groups shared the kiss that marked the beginning of their wonderful marriages together.

Those that were present clapped. Koharu went running up to her mothers and gave them a hug. Nekosa went running up to her mother and leapt up into her arms, and began purring loudly.

Sakaki and Joe would return to their house, and would eventually fall asleep, curled up together with Nekosa. And Joe couldn't stop feeling excited that he was now known as Joe Sakaki.

Kagura and Kaorin went home as well, and Koharu fell asleep with them. And Kagura and Kaorin both finally felt complete in their lives.

And Itsuki and Kari would spend the rest of the day on a date, and then the rest of the night 'making love', now finding the love they had lost long ago.

…

Author's Notes: and so we come to the final happy-ending chapter of this saga.

The song Tomo sings is "You're pitiful" by Weird Al Yankovic.

And that Koyomiko attack is actually based off of two pictures drawn by Funari, called (ironically) Fire of Tomo and Air of Yomi

Now would be a good time to advertise my other series "Azu-Dai Returns Omake Series"

Joe: No! No! NO! You are not advertising that here, no!!

JBK: Why not?

Joe: Because Anime-Rebirth can't stop laughing about it!!

AR: I REALLY LOVED CHAPTER 2! LMAO LMAO LMAO!

Joe: This is bloody humiliating!!

JBK: Sorry, Joe, but it's part of the agreement.

Joe: Eh?

JBK: You got to marry Sakaki. Therefore, you are now the target of a lot of comedic humor. It's a fair tradeoff.

Joe: But…I…(sighs heavily) I'm gonna go…be the target of some more comedic humor.

JBK: Good boy.

So, hopefully the next saga won't take anywhere near as long as this one did to release (damn school and work) but the next saga is going to have Kaorin and Kagura's honeymoon, as well as Shaun coming to Japan to meet up with Chiyo…

Shaun: YES!!! THANK YOU, GOD!!!

…and time-skipping through the winter months, where I'll have another nightmare chapter!

Joe: (_sarcastically_) Yeah, having those is always fun.

I'll probably end it with Sakaki and Joe's honeymoon.

Joe: (_sighs_) Finally, something good happens to me.

JBK: And then Joe ends up in a nest of crabs…

Joe: I hate you.

Oh, and as a last note, I need feedback as to wheather you guys want the Azu-kids to drink the secret soda or not.

Let me know, and see you all later!

-JBK2K1

Jamesbondkid will return in "The After-marriage saga!"


	70. Honeymoon Times, begin AfterMarriage Sga

Kagura and Kaorin's Honeymoon, Begin After-Marriage Saga

…

Timeskip To: September 17th (14 days before October 1st)

…

Joe, Sakaki, and Nekosa all sat around eating breakfast. But both Nekosa and Sakaki noticed how quiet Joe seemed. In fact, he seemed almost…sad.

I can't believe it's been a whole year…things have just gone by…so fast, Joe thought.

He didn't even realize himself that tears were running down his face.

"Otousan, what's wrong?" Nekosa asked.

Joe noticed at this point that the tears were running down his face, and he quickly wiped them away.

"Nekosa, Tanaka, um…after breakfast, I want you to come with me…" Joe said.

…

After breakfast, Sakaki and Nekosa followed Joe downstairs. He led them to a closet that was downstairs, which he opened up, revealing an urn.

Written on the urn, both in Japanese kanji and in English, was "Neko-san"

Joe's hands clenched up into fists as he remembered that scene, on that day precisely one year ago.

(Flashback)

Walking in with Sakaki, back then only boyfriend and girlfriend, and both of them gasping at that bloody scene before them.

Joe then calling out Neko-san's name, and crying into Sakaki's shoulder for what seemed like an eternity.

(End Flashback)

Joe fell to his knees, crying. He hated how Neko-san had been so brutally taken away from him.

Sakaki walked over and kneeled down next to her husband. Joe leaned over and cried into her shoulder.

Nekosa walked over and gave Joe a hug around the waist.

"One year ago today…" Sakaki said softly and quietly, as Joe cried into her shoulder, just like he had a year ago.

…

Timeskip to: September 22nd (9 days before October 1st)

…

Joe and Sakaki had been married for 20 days now, and things were finally beginning to settle down.

But that was the last thing on either of their minds. Both of them knew that, come October, Joe would no longer be with them, in consideration of his job.

Kagura had gotten a job as a trainer down at the local gym, par a suggestion from Yomi. Koharu now stayed with Kagura's dad and Kaorin's mother, who were now dating.

"Hehe…told you my plan would work!" Kaorin said, smiling big.

"Never doubted you for a second…" Kagura beamed at her wife.

They had received their marriage certificate through the mail from the Netherlands, and were now officially married.

Tomo continued to date men on and off, but both her and Yomi agreed that men would never come back to the house (because Koyomiko was there, and they didn't want to leave any lasting impressions with her), and while Tomo dated, Yomi watched Koyomiko.

And every time Tomo came home, Koyomiko would always be the one to ask how the date went.

And during the day, while her parents were working, Koyomiko would stay with either Yomi's parents, or Tomo's parents.

And on a happy note, Tomo had gained her 'wildcat' side back, since laying the beat down on Laharl at the wedding.

Arata and Osaka continued their usual activities of heading off to work, coming home, lying under their own kotatsu, and falling asleep. Neither of them had even once had the thought of having sex with each other, despite Osaka being the most retentive about Nyamo's 'talk'.

And finally, Chiyo continued her job at the hospital, but she spent most of her free time talking to Shaun on YIM. Shaun was a mere 10 days away from his 18th birthday, when he could finally come to Japan on his own, and possibly even live there. Chiyo could hardly contain her excitement.

And so we join Joe, Sakaki, Kagura, and Kaorin at Sakaki's house. Nekosa and Koharu are off playing video games.

…

"So, we were thinking about possibly getting our honeymoon in before Joe has to stay at his job…" Kagura said.

"So, we were wondering if you guys could possibly watch Koharu while we're gone…" Kaorin said.

"And then just drop her off at our parent's house before you head off to work." Kagura finished.

Joe and Sakaki huddled up, talked it over for a minute, and then looked back at Kagura and Kaorin.

"OK, but the deal is you have to watch Nekosa while we're off on our honeymoon when we plan it." Joe said. Sakaki nodded in agreement.

Kagura and Kaorin huddled up, talked about it for only a second, then came back.

"Deal," They both said.

Kagura shook hands with Joe. Sakaki shook hands with Kaorin.

"So, about this honeymoon…where are you planning on going?" Joe asked.

"Hm…not quite sure. We wanted to get the care of Koharu out of the way before we did anything like that…" Kagura said.

Joe smiled. "Then I may just have the place."

Joe ran into his room, grabbed his laptop, brought up a world map, and then came back out.

"Here…" Joe said, pointing with his mouse to a spot in the Pacific Ocean. "…is an island known as 'Honeymoon Island'. It's completely isolated. It's large enough to have two people vacation there, but it's so small, it can't even be seen on GPS."

"How do you know about it?" Kaorin asked.

"hehe…I know a friend who knows about it." Joe said, grinning big.

"So…what's on this…honeymoon island?" Kagura asked.

"A small cabin for two, a small outdoor hotspring in the back, and finally, a GPS scrambler that covers up the island if the GPS decides to zoom in on that spot. Meaning, two people have complete and total privacy for the honeymoon of their dreams!" Joe said, sounding much like a sales person trying to sell them this trip.

"How much does it cost to get there?" Kaorin asked.

"Well, it costs about 500,000 yen for the whole thing; trip, supplies, etc." Joe responded.

"Kagura! That could be perfect!" Kaorin said.

Kagura nodded happily, her eyes big. Total seclusion for the both of them…

"You guys should probably explain to Koharu where you guys are going…" Sakaki said in her cool voice. "And you should drop off some supplies for us…"

"Good idea, Sakaki-san!" Kaorin said. She then called out "Koharu? Could you come here please?"

"Nekosa, I want you to hear this too!" Sakaki yelled. That way, the both of them would know where their parents were going when they said 'honeymoon'

…

Koharu and Nekosa had now gathered in the living room with their parents.

"Koharu-chan, Kaori-kaa-san and I are going to be gone for a few days, so you're going to be staying with Joe-san and Sakaki-san." Kagura told her daughter.

"Why are you gonna be gone?" Koharu asked.

"Because we're going to be gone on our honeymoon!" Kaorin said.

"What's a honeymoon?" Koharu asked.

Both Kagura and Kaorin froze. They didn't want to tell little 6-year-old Koharu what a honeymoon really was…

Luckily, Joe (being the strategist he is) had already planned this out, knowing little Koharu was gonna ask what a 'honeymoon' was.

"Basically, Koharu-chan, a 'honeymoon' something that all married couples have to go on, but they don't want to. It's totally boring. They spend 8 hours a day teaching you the 'facts of life' when it could all be explained in a few minutes. To make matters worse, kids aren't allowed to go, because it's so torturous, and they don't want to put kids through that." Joe explained.

"So, then, why do they go?" Koharu asked.

"It's a government requirement." Joe said without missing a beat.

"Damn government…" Koharu mumbled.

"So, that's where your mom's are headed for the week, but then…" Joe turned toward Nekosa, "…sometime around the spring or summer, Nekosa, is when you're mother and I have to go."

"Awwww…and it's boring?" Nekosa asked.

"VERY. They force you to listen to these talks and they won't even let me bring my DS with me!" Joe said.

"Ouch. That IS boring…" Nekosa said. For as long as she knew her Otousan, he never went anywhere in public without his DS.

"So, I'm staying with Nekosa's parents until you guys come back from your honeymoon?" Koharu asked her parents.

"Sorry, kiddo, but like Joe-san said, kids aren't allowed because it's so torturous…" Kagura said, putting one hand on her child's head.

Koharu quickly hugged Kagura.

"Please come back alive!" Koharu said.

"Don't worry. We will. Nothing has stopped me yet, and even a boring honeymoon will stop me now!" Kagura said, giving Koharu a big hug back.

…

The next day, Kagura and Kaorin had dropped off Koharu's futon, along with a week's worth of clothes. And they waited outisde, along with Sakaki, Joe, and Nekosa.

"Now, you be good, and don't beat up on Joe too much" Kagura said, hugging Koharu.

"I'll try not to…" Koharu said, smiling, but still having a tear run down her face.

"Have fun, OK? Be sure to play with Nekosa…we'll be back in about a week." Kaorin said as she got her hug.

"OK, Kaori-kaa-san. Bye. I love you…" Koharu said.

"We love you too, kiddo…" Kagura said, as she got in on the hug.

Joe had to wrap one arm around Sakaki, because that moment was just so touching.

The hug broke up, and Kagura and Kaorin stood up, after having to bend down to hug Koharu.

"So, Joe-san, how do we get to this 'honeymoon island', anyway?" Kagura asked.

"Like this…" Joe walked out to the sidewalk, and waved his hand in the direction of the empty road.

"TAXI!!"

Within 5 seconds, a taxi pulled up from the completely deserted road.

"Morning…" Joe said to the driver.

"Good Morning, Mr. Sakaki." the taxi driver said.

"How'd you know he got married?!" Kagura asked the driver.

"We have our ways, Madam…" the taxi driver said mysteriously.

Kagura and Kaorin shivered.

"So, we need to get these two girls to Honeymoon Island, can you get them there?" Joe asked.

"For a fee…" the taxi driver said.

Kagura walked up to the window, and held out five 100,000 yen bills.

The driver took the money, and fed it into the reader in the front.

"Supplies are already set, then, we just need to get you there…" the taxi driver said.

"Joe-san, how did you find out about Honeymoon Island anyway?" Kaorin asked.

"I asked the cab driver if he knew the perfect getaway for a couple looking for a perfect honeymoon. And that's when he told me about Honeymoon Island." Joe said.

"So, how does he know about it if GPS can't even pick it up?" Kaorin asked.

"We have our ways, Aida-san…" The taxi driver said.

Kaorin shivered a bit, but she loaded up her clothes bag into the back of the taxi, and got in with Kagura. The both of them rolled down the window.

"Be good, Koharu!! We'll miss you!!" Kaorin said, as the taxi began driving away.

"Bye!!" Kagura yelled, waving goodbye.

The four standing on the sidewalk waved goodbye as the taxi drove on and disappeared down the road. The taxi had to slam on its breaks to avoid a silver car with dents and dings, and then it continued driving, and eventually vanished.

"Well, we gotta head off to work, and now we have to drop two kids off, so we'd better get going!" Joe said.

Sakaki nodded, and the two of them ran in to the house to get ready.

"You gonna miss them?" Nekosa asked Koharu.

"Yeah. But I know it's gonna be boring for them, so they'll be happy to see me on their return!" Koharu said.

"We'd better get ready to go, too…" Nekosa said.

Koharu nodded, and walked in the house with Nekosa.

…

"I sure am gonna miss Koharu…" Kaorin said.

"Don't worry about it! Joe and Sakaki will take good care of her!" Kagura said, putting one hand on Kaorin's shoulder.

Kaorin smiled at Kagura, then turned her head to stare out the window.

Kagura took the opportunity to check the bag she had brought into the taxi with her. And on top of everything lie Joe's massaging notes that she had asked him to print off.

Kagura smiled, and quickly zipped the bag back up.

…

Sakaki went to her parent's house to drop Nekosa off, while Joe went to drop off Koharu.

Thanks to Koharu (because Joe forgot to ask) they found Kagura's father's house, but was greeted at the door by Kaorin's mother.

"Oh, um…hello." Joe said, bowing. "Are you sure we have the right house?" Joe whispered to Koharu.

"Absolutely!" Koharu said. "Obaasan is dating Ojiisan!"

"That's right, little Koharu-chan!" Kari said, smiling big. Her life felt so complete now, and so did Itsuki's.

"Kagura and Kaori told us everything." Kari said to Joe. "A boring honeymoon, huh? I remember mine with my first husbands…" she turned in to talk to Ituski, who was watching TV sitting on the couch. "…how about you?"

"Oh, I remember it well! It was soooo boring!" Ituski said with a laugh.

The two now found it so much easier to talk about their past loves, in consideration that both of their previous loves had died long ago, and that they found new love with each other.

"So…wait, if you two marry, wouldn't that make Kagura and Kaorin stepsisters?" Joe asked.

"You know, we thought about that…but technically, since they married first, WE would be the weird ones, since we're both in-laws to the other." Kari said.

Joe chuckled slightly.

"Well, I have to get going… I'll be picking her up after work." Joe said to Kari.

"See you later, Koharu-chan!" Joe said to Koharu.

"See ya!" Koharu ran in to the living room, and kneeled down.

As Joe walked away, he heard Koharu say "OK, arm-wrestling, and this time, I'm gonna win!"

Joe couldn't help but laugh a bit. It was just amazing how these three kids showed up out of nowhere, and had integrated themselves so well into the lives of the Azu-girls.

But the one thing Joe couldn't help but smile at was how Kaorin and Kagura, in love with each other, had somehow gotten their broken-hearted parents together.

Such an amazing thing, love is. Joe thought.

…

Author's notes: That beginning part was just so touching. For those that wish to remember that bloody scene, Chapter 29 of this story is where Neko-san was brutally murdered.

(Moment of silence in remembrance of Neko-san)

Well, through the votes, you guys wanted the Azu-kids to drink the soda (which will come later), but IcemanX didn't want it, so I figured I'd bring back his hero. IcemanX, the taxi driver part is dedicated to you ;)

Many people have also left comments, stating how 'sci-fi' the intro of the Azu-kids was. The reason for that was so that the Azu-girls could have children, and I wouldn't have to massively time-skip through the nine months of pregnancy and having to go through the pains of labor.

And as for Nekosa, her cat-like features will be explained when her second donor shows up in the next saga.

And finally, this saga's focus is going to be friendship and love, so it's gonna be really touching with not a whole lot of funny parts (although they're will still be some in there)

Next Chapter: The Aida-Kagura Honeymoon


	71. The AidaKagura Honeymoon

The Aida-Kagura Honeymoon

Note: Kagura and Kaorin fans rejoice! It's a Kagura and Kaorin focus chapter!!

Note2: Rated 'M' for strong sexual references.

…

Neither Kagura nor Kaorin talked too much during their 20-minute drive. Both of them were thinking the same thing. Just how 'boring' (cough) the honeymoon was going to be.

"OK, girls, take everything out of the taxi, we're taking boat now…" the taxi driver said, as he got out of the taxi.

Kagura and Kaorin unloaded their things, and now put them into a special luggage compartment on a taxi-yellow speedboat. They both put on their lifejackets, and got into the boat.

The taxi driver put on his life jacket, started up the speedboat, and they took off.

…

45 minutes later

…

The speedboat came to a small island, with a wooden cabin noticeable in the front.

"That's Honeymoon Island?" Kaorin asked in disbelief. She had expected it to be much more…luxurious.

"Doesn't look like much…" Kagura said.

"Though it doesn't look like much, remember, it's completely secluded out here. There are no boat travels that come even close to this, there are no planes that fly overhead, and we just spent 45 minutes on speedboat to get out here." The taxi driver said. "The reason we keep it from looking too overly expensive is we don't want to attract attention to it."

The speedboat stopped on the island, and Kagura and Kaorin unloaded their things.

"I'll be back in precisely one week to pick you guys up. Remember, 9:30 sharp!" the taxi driver said.

"Got it." Kagura and Kaorin said.

The taxi driver backed up the boat, and drove off.

A moment of silence as Kagura and Kaorin watched the taxi driver drive off.

"So…" Kaorin broke the silence. "All alone…on this island…for a week?"

"Well, let's unpack, and check out what's here…" Kagura said.

Kagura and Kaorin picked up their items and walked into the cabin.

The cabin was very homey looking, despite looking small and run-down outside. Inside was a stove, a fridge, cabinets with multiple amounts of food items in it, and an American table with two chairs, and next to it was a typical Japanese table (low to the ground for kneeling) with two cushions.

Checking out the rest of the house, the bathroom was a full bathroom, with a nice shower, while also having a large tub. The living room had a couch looking at a small television, and hooked up to it was a VCR/DVD combo that didn't have the time set.

In the bedroom, there were two dresser drawers for clothes. The bed itself was a king size.

"Wonder why they need a bed that's so big?" Kagura asked.

"Don't really know…" Kaorin said, as they went to check out the rest of the house.

And finally, in the back, they saw an outdoor hot spring, perfect for relaxing in. And far beyond that were wind catchers, which were used to power the fridge, among other small electronics in the cabin.

What Kagura and Kaorin didn't see, that was beyond the wind catchers, was the GPS scrambler that actually ran on hydro-electric power. It only scrambled up enough to cover the island, nothing more.

Kagura and Kaorin unpacked their belongings, putting everything away, and then met back in the kitchen where they first stepped in.

"So…what do you want to do?" Kagura asked.

"I'm up for a dip in the hot spring! I've always wanted to go to an outdoor hot tub!" Kaorin said smiling big.

…

The two girls took a long relaxing dip in the hot tub. Despite their being no fences, they didn't have to worry about any perverts being around, since the island was so small, they would know if anybody else was on it.

Kaorin and Kagura returned from their dip in the hot tub, and made themselves lunch. Even though it was only 10:30, the both of them had had a small breakfast to get Koharu over to Sakaki's house.

After finishing up eating, Kagura ran to the bathroom. Kaorin went down and sat on the king size bed.

Kaorin looked down at her marriage ring, and played with it a bit. Then a thought ran through her head.

The marriage ring meant she had given up on Sakaki completely. It was forever binding her to Kagura.

Although she had already given up on Sakaki for the most part, this meant she could now never go after her again. Though her mind felt that it was already a lost dream, her heart continued to say it could always happen.

Kagura came out of the bathroom, and noticed that Kaorin was sitting there, staring at her marriage ring.

"Kaorin?" Kagura asked.

"Hey, Kagura…" Kaorin said, sounding very depressed.

"You OK?" Kagura asked.

"I'm fine…" Kaorin lied.

Kagura moved closer to Kaorin, and put one hand on her shoulder.

"Sakaki-san?" Kagura asked.

Kaorin looked a little disheartened, but nodded anyway.

"I know it's just a lost dream…" Kaorin said. "…but, she was still my first love. It's like I just can't give her up…even though I'm now married to you."

"Hey, don't worry about it. Your heart just may not be ready to give her up, but it will eventually." Kagura said. "Besides, I know something Sakaki-san wouldn't do…"

Kagura pulled in close, and began kissing Kaorin, and slowly started moving in suggestively.

"Not now, Kagura…" Kaorin said, pulling away, still depressed. "I'm not in the mood."

Kagura sighed as she stared at Kaorin. Already, she could sense Kaorin being troubled with finally giving up on Sakaki, and deep down, it really hurt Kaorin.

Kagura, however, was not to be deterred. She walked over to her bag, zipped it open, and pulled out Joe's massaging notes.

"Hey, Kaoooooorin…" Kagura called out. "Guess what I've got?"

Kaorin turned her head to see the papers in Kagura's hands.

"These are massaging notes. Joe-san says he used these on Sakaki-san, and she relaxed almost instantly. Want a massage?" Kagura asked.

A massage that Sakaki herself had received? Kaorin couldn't deny that…

"Sure…" Kaorin said, smiling a bit, turning back around.

Kagura grinned to herself, as she climbed up on the bed, put the notes down, and began to read.

"OK, bare your shoulders…" Kagura said.

Kaorin bared her shoulders, as Kagura put her hands on Kaorin's shoulders, and…

CRACK!!!

"OUCH!!!" Kaorin stood straight up. "Dammit, Kagura, that hurt!!!"

"Oh, uh, sorry, guess I don't know my own strength…" Kagura said, rubbing the back of her head with one hand in embarrassment.

"Gah! The secret to massaging is being gentle!!" Kaorin yelled, grabbing her hurt shoulder.

"Sorry about that…um, can I try again?" Kagura asked.

Kaorin cracked her shoulder to make it stop hurting, and looked at Kagura.

"Fine, but this time, be gentle…" Kaorin said, as she sat back down, and bared her shoulders again.

Kagura re-read the notes, and this time, was gentle about massaging Kaorin.

Kaorin didn't relax immediately at first, having just gotten her shoulder cracked hard by Kagura. But as the massaging continued, Kaorin could feel herself slowly relax.

Kagura moved up, and massaged the temples gently with her middle fingers. Kagura blushed as she heard Kaorin moan in pleasure.

I'm SO getting turned on by this…Kagura thought.

Kagura moved to page 3: back massaging. Kaorin laid down on the bed, and bared her back. Kagura started at the lower back, and slowly moved her way up. The more Kagura massaged, the louder and more often Kaorin would moan, and the brighter Kagura would blush.

As she reached Kaorin's shoulder blades, Kaorin couldn't take it anymore. It just felt too good, and now she thirsted for more.

Kaorin whipped around, moving Kagura's hands out of the way, then sat up and locked lips with her lover.

Kagura instinctively blushed. Kaorin was already half-naked, having been back massaged.

But Kagura was not about to let this moment pass. Kaorin hadn't been in the mood not three minutes ago, and she could flip back at any moment.

Kagura and Kaorin began kissing passionately, as clothes slowly came off, but went flying through the room as they did.

…

Kagura and Kaorin would have the most passionate time they had ever had in their entire lives. The time they shared now, they both wished could last forever.

…

Kagura and Kaorin fell down on the bed, pleasure still tingling throughout their bodies. Kagura reached down and grabbed the comforter, and pulled it over herself and Kaorin. Kaorin, to her surprise, was already asleep.

Guess she can't keep up with my athletic body, Kagura thought.

Kaorin reached out, and wrapped her arms around Kagura's body, then pulled her close.

"Natsuko…" Kaorin said in her sleep.

Kagura gasped. Every time before this, Kaorin had always said "Sakaki-san" in her sleep, and deep down, it always hurt Kagura.

Now with Kaorin saying Kagura's name in her sleep, it meant that Kaorin had finally given up on Sakaki, and was finally accepting Kagura as her one and only lover.

Kagura wrapped her arms around Kaorin.

"I love you, Kaorin, forever and ever…" Kagura whispered, and then she fell asleep.

And the two naked lovers slept through the night, their love renewed, and both of them feeling the happiest they had felt in their entire lives.

…

Author's notes:

I originally had written a more 'M' rated sex scene for Kaorin and Kagura, but then had to edit it (quite a bit) to keep it 'T' rated.

And it also looks like Kaorin finally knows Kagura enough to call her by her first name, and Kagura is willing enough to let her.

Next Chapter: Koyomiko-zilla


	72. Koyomikozilla

Koyomiko-zilla

…

(Same day as previous chapter)

…

Joe came walking home, Koharu next to him. He had gotten done with work, met Sakaki outside her work, they had both walked for a bit before splitting up to go pick up the different kids.

"So, how was your day?" Joe asked.

"Well, I almost beat Ojiisan in arm-wrestling today. I just can't seem to beat that one technique of his!" Koharu said.

"Well, you'll come to learn how to beat it one day. In the meantime, don't let it get you down. You will win someday." Joe said, reciting the same thing he continually told himself through his school years, when he continually lost in chess.

A moment of silence as the two walked home. Joe could see in Koharu's eyes that she was trying to think of what that technique did that beat her so often.

"Hey, Koharu-chan, why is it that you're not beating up on me?" Joe asked.

"Because…you saved my friend, and you're her Otousan now…and I always promised that I would never beat up on family members unless they really deserve it!" Koharu said, smiling big at the last part.

Joe couldn't help but smile. He was off of Koharu's 'list of guys I want to kill'. That made his day just that much better.

…

Yomi opened the door to her house, and let her and Koyomiko in.

"Kaa-san, is Mama out on a date?" Koyomiko asked.

"No, your Mama had to work late today…" Yomi said truthfully. The ICPO always loved keeping Tomo late, especially with Christmas only three months away.

"Oh…" Koyomiko said, a little disheartened. She looked up at Yomi. "Kaa-san, why does Mama need to stay late at her job?"

"Because she's needs to if she wants to get all the bad guys!" Yomi said, rubbing Koyomiko's head.

"Yeah! My Mama's gonna get the bad guys!" Koyomiko said happily.

Yomi breathed a sigh of relief. At least that got Koyomiko's mind off of Tomo.

"Kaa-san, I'm thirsty. Can I have a lemonade?" Koyomiko asked.

"Sure you can, Koyomiko," Yomi said, as she closed the front door.

"_¡Gracias_, Kaa-san!!" Koyomiko said, running to the kitchen.

I've gotta take Spanish lessons, so I know what she's saying, Yomi thought.

Yomi sat down on the couch, and breathed a sigh of relief. She had a book conference today in the center of Japan, with a book signing afterward.

Yomi rotated her wrists, and cracked them. All that signing really made it ache…

Koyomiko opened up the fridge in the kitchen, grabbed a can where all her lemonade was, and opened it up.

…

Joe stopped walking.

"Joe-san? Are you OK?" Koharu asked, as she stopped and looked back.

"It…can't be…I haven't heard any of those cans open in months!!" Joe said, as he quickly whipped out his cell phone.

…

The phone rang, and Yomi picked it up.

"Takino-Mizuhara residence…" Yomi said. She had gotten accustomed to saying that now.

"Yomi!! Where's Tomo-chan?" Joe asked.

"She's working late, Joe-san" Yomi responded.

"Could she have possibly brought one of my secret soda's to work with her?" Joe asked.

"It's a possibility. I mean, the last I saw of those, they were…" Yomi looked over at the fridge, and saw Koyomiko finish off a can with a very recognizable label.

"Gah! Wow, I was thirsty!" Koyomiko said in her cute child voice.

The phone dropped from Yomi's hand. Yomi sat there, staring stunned and totally frightened at Koyomiko.

Koyomiko set the empty can up on the counter, and then returned to the living room, where she noticed Yomi sitting there, frozen.

"Kaa-san?" Koyomiko asked, snapping Yomi out of her frozen fear state.

"Uh…Koyomiko, how do you feel?" Yomi asked.

"I feel OK. How about you, Kaa-san? You look a little scared. Is Mama OK?" Koyomiko asked, fearing for her other mother.

"Uh…Mama's OK, but…um…Koyomiko, let's go for a walk." Yomi said.

"Yay!!! A walk with Kaa-san!!" Koyomiko said. She ran to the door (since she still had her fall jacket on) and waited for Yomi to come with her.

As Yomi reached the door, she noticed that Koyomiko had spilled a little bit of soda on to her shirt and a little bit on her pants.

"Koyomiko, you need to be a bit better about your drinking…" Yomi scorned.

Koyomiko checked her clothes, and noticed the spills on them.

"I'm sorry, Kaa-san, I'll try better next time…" Koyomiko said.

"That's my girl." Yomi said, rubbing Koyomiko's head with one hand.

Koyomiko and Yomi walked out the door.

"So, where are we going?" Koyomiko asked.

"Um…let's go see your Mama at work! See what she's doing!" Yomi said.

"Yay!!! Gonna go see Mama!!" Koyomiko said happily.

It was at that moment that Joe came running up the street. He had dropped Koharu off at the house, explained the situation to Sakaki, and then had gone running off.

"Yomi-san..." Joe managed to pant out. "You…never told…me…what happened…"

"Um…Joe-san, I think Koyomiko had it." Yomi said nervously.

"Eh? I had what?" Koyomiko asked.

KA-THUMP-UMP-UMP!!

Koyomiko fell to the ground, holding her stomach in pain.

"Kaa-san…it hurts…." Koyomiko whined.

"Don't fight it, Koyomiko!! Just let it out!" Joe said.

Yomi bent down, putting one hand on Koyomiko.

"Don't worry, Koyomiko, I'm right here…" Yomi said, the only possible thing she could at that point. She had no idea what effect the secret soda would have on Koyomiko, nor did she know if she'd be able to help at that point.

Suddenly, Koyomiko grew. It started slow at first, then it began picking up as she grew bigger. It may have been a possibility that, because Koyomiko spilled the soda on her clothes, that her clothes grew with her. But Koyomiko grew bigger, and bigger, and bigger…

Joe had to back up in order to avoid the big size that Koyomiko had now grown. But he could now just stare in awe as Koyomiko had now become Koyomiko-zilla.

"It…doesn't hurt anymore…" Koyomiko said, her voice booming everywhere.

Koyomiko looked down to see that her Kaa-san was now the size of a small toy. Koyomiko reached down, and picked Yomi up like she was a Barbie doll.

"Let's go find Mama, Kaa-san!" Koyomiko said, as Koyomiko stood up, and started walking down the street.

Joe fell onto his butt as he just stared at the direction in which Koyomiko walked.

"That...is gonna make Tomo wish she would have never left the secret soda in the fridge." Joe said, as he then passed out.

…

"God, this paperwork is boring!!!" Tomo whined, as she put her hands on her head, and started pulling on her hair.

"Well, although it's boring, it's necessary! Now the sooner you finish this up, the sooner we both can go!!!" her boss said angrily. Tomo's boss was an older woman (40-ish) but she always looked angry. And the fact that she had to stay there to make sure Tomo did her paperwork was making her even angrier.

Tomo continued to work on her paperwork.

boom! The glass of water that Tomo had on her desk shook, causing water ripples.

Boom! It happened again.

Boom!...Boom!...Boom!...BOOM!!!

"Man, what's up with people?!" Tomo said in aggravation, turning to her boss.

Her boss had the look like she had just seen a ghost. Her mouth was wide open, her pupils were super small, and she just kept pointing out the window.

Tomo turned to look out the window, and got the shock of her life.

Although the ICPO building was positioned on the 34th floor of the building they were in, Tomo easily saw Koyomiko's enlarged face, along with Yomi being held in Koyomiko's hand.

"HI, MAMA!!" Koyomiko said smiling happily, her voice shaking the building. One huge finger of Koyomiko's came up and tapped the glass of the building, shaking the very foundation of the building itself. The glass began to crack.

Tomo jumped out of her chair, ran to the elevator, and pressed the button. The elevator came up within a minute, and Tomo pushed the button for the first floor.

…

"Koyomiko!! I think Mama saw you!!!" Yomi yelled, cupping her hands to try and get Koyomiko to hear her. She was still being held by Koyomiko, light enough so that she wouldn't suffocate, yet strong enough to not let go.

"I DON'T THINK MAMA SAW ME…" Koyomiko said.

Yomi sighed. Her tiny voice was almost complete and total silence in comparison to the large Koyomiko.

Most of the other people had already seen this giant child, and were now running away in a screaming panic. Those that were stuck in traffic jams had abandoned their cars to get away from the monster girl.

Tomo came running out of the building, looked up, and then wished she had stayed inside the building. She was now looking up at Koyomiko-zilla.

"Tomo!!!! She's looking for you!!!!!" Yomi yelled, cupping her hands to try to get Tomo to hear her.

Koyomiko noticed that Yomi was yelling to someone, and looked down.

"MAMA!!" Koyomiko said happily, her voice booming with happiness.

Tomo wished she could have run at that point, but it felt as if her legs had been melded to the ground.

Koyomiko bent down, and picked up the frozen Tomo much like she had Yomi.

"YAY!! NOW I'VE GOT MAMA AND KAA-SAN!!!" Koyomiko said happily.

It was at that point that Tomo snapped out of it. And Tomo (being Tomo) tried to take control of the situation.

"Koyomiko!! Put us down now!!!" Tomo said in a commanding voice.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, MAMA?" Koyomiko asked. Tomo motioned for Koyomiko to come closer, so Koyomiko bent her head in closer.

"I said to put us down!!!!!!!" Tomo screamed.

"OH, OK THEN." Koyomiko said, and instantly opened up her hands.

Tomo managed to grab on to Koyomiko's finger, but Yomi never saw it coming, and started falling to the ground.

Yomi screamed as she saw the ground coming up closer, and closer, and closer…

"Koyomiko!!" Tomo yelled, pointing to the falling Yomi.

Koyomiko reached out and grabbed the falling Yomi before she hit the ground.

Tomo breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Koyomiko.

"I meant put us down gently!!!" Tomo yelled.

"SORRY, MAMA…" Koyomiko said, as she bent down (accidentally bumping into the building behind her) and gently put Tomo and Yomi down on the ground.

Yomi fell to her hands and knees, trying to slow down her heart, which was beating somewhere close to a million beats per second.

"Well, that went well!" Tomo said, displaying her wildcat smile.

"Well?! It went well?! Our daughter is still 100 times her normal size, and I almost died being dropped 40 stories by your idiotic call to have her 'drop us'!!!" Yomi said.

As if almost right on cue at that point…

KA-THUMP-UMP-UMP!!

Koyomiko screamed out in pain. Yomi and Tomo (as well as everybody else) slapped their hands over their ears.

And they watched as Koyomiko began to shrink, and shrink, and shrink…

However, her clothes did not shrink with her, and Koyomiko ended up buried under her own super-sized shirt.

Yomi and Tomo stood there, a little stunned as to what may have just happened…

Koyomiko came crawling out of her shirt, completely naked. She wrapped her arms around herself, and began shivering.

"It's c-c-c-cold…" Koyomiko said.

Yomi ran up to Koyomiko, bent down, opened up her jacket, put Koyomiko in her jacket, and closed it up, so that Koyomiko's head was still showing, but at least Koyomiko was sheltered in Yomi's jacket.

"Let's go home and get you a change of clothes…" Yomi said.

Tomo began to snicker as she realized something else.

"…and it looks like we may need to get some new clothes for your Kaa-san as well..." Tomo said, slapping her hand over her mouth to avoid bursting out laughing.

"I couldn't help it, OK?!! I was dropped 40 stories!!!! You'd wet yourself too if you'd have been dropped!!!" Yomi yelled.

Tomo burst out laughing, as Yomi started walking home.

I think I may need to collaborate with Joe-san to get back at her for this, Yomi thought.

…

Author's notes:

For those of you that are wondering how the secret soda got into the Takino-Mizuhara fridge:

Back in Chapter 39 (The Dreadful Day) Tomo stole 5 soda's out of Joe's safe, but only 3 were used up in that chapter (Yomi, Nyamo, and Tomo herself). So now one more of those soda's is gone. The other one is gonna pop up in the next chapter

And let's see if Joe and Yomi can now get back at Tomo for this too…

Next Chapter: Nekocat and Demon Koharu


	73. Nekocat and Demon Koharu

Nekocat and Demon Koharu

…

Sakaki sighed heavily as Koharu and Nekosa sat upstairs, playing video games. Joe had just run off telling her that someone, probably Tomo, had opened up a can of his secret soda.

And to make matters worse, his time with her was running short. Soon he would have to go off to his job, and he wouldn't be home for 2 ½ months. Sakaki was starting to already have her doubts as to whether marrying him had been a good idea or not…

Nekosa and Koharu came downstairs.

"Okaasan, can we have a drink?" Nekosa asked.

"Sure, there's some soda in the fridge…" Sakaki said, smiling at her daughter.

"Thank you, Okaasan!!" Nekosa said, running off with Koharu to grab two cans from the fridge.

Both of the soda's they grabbed looked exactly the same, although the second one had gotten in there because of a certain Tomo Takino…

…

Joe snapped back awake (after falling unconscious from seeing the large Koyomiko), because he heard two more secret soda's open. And they were in the direction of his house.

Joe got up and started running again.

…

Nekosa and Koharu drank down their sodas entirely.

They walked back upstairs, and resumed playing video games.

Sakaki went from sitting to lying down on the couch. Her day had been so long and hard…and the noises coming from the video games upstairs were so relaxing…as her eyelids felt heavy…

Sakaki dozed off. 5 minutes later, she was woken up by a startling scream coming from her daughter.

"Nekosa?!" Sakaki yelled upstairs. When she got no response, she panicked.

Joe came running in the door at that point.

"Joe, something's happened to Nekosa!" Sakaki said, standing up from the couch.

Joe and Sakaki ran up the stairs, and into the bedroom where Koharu and Nekosa had been. And they both gasped at the scene before them.

A little black cat moved its way out of what had been Nekosa's clothes, looking absolutely petrified. And next to it was Koharu, who seemed to be unconscious.

"Where's Nekosa?!" Sakaki asked in a panicked state.

"Tanaka, I think that's Nekosa…" Joe said, pointing to the little cat.

"What?!" Sakaki asked, completely stunned.

"Did Koharu-chan and Nekosa happen to have sodas?" Joe asked, slowly walking into the room.

"Yes, they did…" Sakaki said, slowly walking in behind him.

"Well, I heard two secret soda's open up, so I think they might have had them…" Joe said, walking over to the unconscious Koharu.

Sakaki walked over to the black cat, who immediately noticed her, and jumped onto her. Sakaki wrapped her arms around the cat.

"N-n-Nekosa?" Sakaki asked.

The little black cat nodded.

A tear ran down Sakaki's face as she hugged the cat tighter.

Her face then turned to anger as she looked at Joe.

"This is all your fault!!!" Sakaki yelled angrily.

"What? Why my fault?" Joe asked.

"Because it's your stupid secret soda that turned my daughter into a cat!!" Sakaki screamed.

"Listen, we already know that the side-effects are temporary. She'll be back to normal in a few minutes." Joe said, trying to calm Sakaki down.

"I don't care!! If you never had your secret sodas, this wouldn't have happened in the first place!!!" Sakaki screamed.

Suddenly, Koharu's hand grabbed Joe's arm.

Joe looked down. Koharu was fully awake. Her eyes, rather than being their usual brown, were now blood red. Koharu smiled, showing off her two new demon fangs.

"hehe…I've got a nice punishment for you!" Koharu said.

In an instant, Koharu stood up, grabbed Joe's collar, and threw him into a closet that just happened to be open. Then Koharu jumped off the bed right into the closet, and closed the door behind her.

A bit of banging went on inside the closet, and a minute later, the doors opened and Joe came flying out, hitting the floor and rolling a bit.

"That oughtta do it for your punishment!! Hahahahaha!!!" Koharu laughed, as she dashed out of the room and then out of the house with incredible speed.

"Ow….that kid's possessed…" Joe said, standing himself up.

Sakaki, although she was mad at him, smiled.

"Joe, you're…um…" Sakaki said, pointing to him.

Joe looked down.

He was now wearing the black dress that Sakaki had worn on their date.

Joe sighed. "This always happens to me…"

Nekosa the cat made sounds that sounded like laughing.

Joe calmly walked back into the closet, and 5 minutes later, came back out, now wearing the clothes he had been wearing.

"C'mon, we gotta go catch her…" Joe said.

Sakaki looked at him, the little smile gone from her face.

"No." Sakaki said.

"What?" Joe asked, sounding a bit hurt.

"No. The secret sodas are yours, you go catch her." Sakaki said.

Joe wanted to ask her more, but one look at the little black cat shivering in Sakaki's arms gave him the reason as to why she wasn't coming.

Joe looked back to the floor, and slowly walked out of the bedroom, and out of the house.

Sakaki sat down on the bed, cradling her daughter/cat in her arms. Her five other cats came up, jumped up on the bed, and began sniffing the new cat.

Sakaki had another tear run down her face.

…

Koharu was dashing down the road with amazing speed. However, to her disappointment, not one single male was out on the road today.

Koharu zoomed by Yomi toting Koyomiko in her jacket as they were headed home.

"That was Koharu-chan…" Koyomiko said.

"Wonder why she's in such a hurry…" Yomi said.

…

Koharu stopped, and sniffed the air.

"Ah, finally, a male…" Koharu sniffed a bit more, and found the direction that the smell was coming from.

"Ah, a male cat…" Koharu said, smiling a demon smile at the cat that was presumed to be male.

Kamineko perked up his head, and stared back at Koharu.

…

Joe was running down the street once more. But the one thing he couldn't get out of his mind was that look that Sakaki had given him. It was a look that made him somehow feel as if he had done some serious wrong…

Joe came across Yomi and Koyomiko right outside of Yomi's house.

"Hey, Yomi-san, you didn't happen to see Koharu anywhere, did you?" Joe asked.

"Um…yeah, she went running down the street that way…" Yomi said. Before Joe could dash off, Yomi stopped him, "Hey, could you possibly help me get Tomo-chan back sometime?"

"For what?" Joe asked.

"Kaa-san had an accident when I dropped her…" Koyomiko said.

"Wait, dropped her?" Joe asked.

"It's a long story, I'll explain later." Yomi said. "Anyway, are you gonna help me?"

"Um…tell you what, ask me later, because I'm kind of on a mission to retrieve Koharu-chan at the moment…" Joe said, as he went running off.

Yomi and Koyomiko walked inside their house to change clothing, with Tomo far behind, still laughing hard.

…

Joe walked along, still thinking about how Sakaki had not come with him, when he saw Kamineko and Koharu having a stare down with each other. Joe dove behind a tree, and decided to watch this tussle.

Kamineko turned yellow once more.

"Hehe…no time for warm-ups, eh? Oh, well…" Koharu shrugged her shoulders. "I guess we get down to business, then!!"

Kamineko charged at Koharu with impressive speed, but Koharu dodged easily enough, and had apparently tried to do some sort of offensive move on her own (they were moving too fast, and Joe couldn't really see that well), but Kamineko must have dodged, because Koharu went back into trying to attack.

Joe could barely tell what was going on. Kamineko and Koharu were moving so quickly that no mortal eye could keep up.

But after a few minutes of this attacking, they both jumped back from each other, panting hard, but neither of them had even a scratch on each other.

"hehe…not bad, not bad at all. It's not often I get a good challenge from a male." Koharu said.

"Rarh!!!" Kamineko growled back, smiling big.

Both of them suddenly began sniffing the air. They then looked over at the tree that Joe was hiding behind, and smiled evilly.

"Oh…..crap" Joe said, looking positively terrified.

Kamineko lifted one claw up in the air, and unsheathed his claws, which sparkled on the ends.

"Gaaahhh!!!" Joe began running as Kamineko quickly and efficiently cut the tree at the base.

It wasn't even a block before Koharu came running up and easily tackled Joe to the ground.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't black dress boy…" Koharu said smiling evilly.

Kamineko snickered evilly.

"K-Koharu-chan… listen…the secret soda has hold…on your mind…you need to…fight it…" Joe said. Despite Koharu weighing far less that even Joe did, Koharu now felt as if she weighed close to 350 lbs.

"hm! I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm gonna have some serious fun bending you into a pretzel!" Koharu said evilly.

Joe winced, as he also felt Kamineko bite down hard on his leg.

"Could this day possibly get any worse?!" Joe yelled.

Lightning struck, thunder was heard, and rain immediately began to fall.

"I said it, didn't I?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, ya did…" Koharu said, sweatdropping.

Kamineko felt the rain, and instantly ran away.

It was at that point that Koharu would also suddenly fall unconscious, and off of Joe. The secret soda had finally worn off.

"Finally…" Joe said, standing up (wincing as he stood on the bitten leg), picked up Koharu, and began his slow, limping trek home.

…

Nekosa finally came back out of cat form, and Sakaki hugged her tightly, tears running down her face. Sakaki had always been obsessed with cute things, but the transformation for Nekosa was unnatural, and therefore bad in Sakaki's mind.

Joe came back in from his Koharu hunt dripping wet. He limped inside the house, and set Koharu down on the couch. He then limped inside the bathroom, and began to clean off his bitten ankle.

Sakaki came walking in, looking at his bitten ankle.

"What happened to you?" Sakaki said in her cool voice.

"Kamineko and Koharu were off fighting, and I got caught up in the middle of it." Joe said, wrapping a bandage around his leg.

"And…Nekosa's back to normal…" Sakaki said, looking away.

"Well, that's good." Joe said, as he finished wrapping his leg.

"Joe, I may have overreacted a bit when I got mad at you, but…I'm just worried about the well being of our daughter, and…that soda's dangerous, and I don't want our daughter drinking any more of it…"

"Tanaka, it's going to be a bit difficult for me to move all of it out of the house…" Joe said, as he stood up, and tested the strength of his bitten leg.

Sakaki looked at him angrily.

"I'm just thinking about the well being of my daughter!! Excuse me for thinking of her first!" and Sakaki stomped away.

Joe looked utterly stunned. Then he looked down at the ground…

As he finished cleaning up his wound, and wrapping it up, he looked at himself in the mirror. He had the most determined look on his face.

He was not about to lose the only girl who had ever loved him.

…

Sakaki would awaken the next morning because of noise coming from her living room. It was a Saturday, and neither her nor Joe had to work that day.

Sakaki walked out of her room to find Joe standing there, watching guys take away all of his secret soda out of his safe.

"Joe, what's going on?" Sakaki asked.

"Morning, Tanaka. And I've donated my secret soda to the hospital" Joe said.

"What?!" Sakaki said in a shocked tone.

"Tanaka, I thought about what happened yesterday, and I really think we need to talk. You probably haven't told me everything about your life, and I know I haven't told you everything about mine. So, I know that Nekosa and Koharu will be up soon, but sometime today, can we talk?" Joe looked back at Sakaki.

Sakaki thought about it, then nodded. She knew she hadn't told him much about herself.

…

So the guys would take away all of Joe's secret soda, as well as the safe itself. By this time, Nekosa and Koharu were awake, and all four of them had breakfast.

"So, did you guys want to do anything today?" Joe asked.

"Probably play some more video games!! I have so much fun playing the Wii!" Koharu said happily.

…

So Koharu and Nekosa went upstairs to play some video games. Sakaki went into her room, and shut and locked the door. She looked back to find that Joe was already lying on top of their futon, waiting for her.

Sakaki sighed heavily, walked over, and lied down next to Joe.

"So, Tanaka, would you like to start, or should I?" Joe asked.

Sakaki pulled herself so that her head was next to his chest, and Joe wrapped his arms around her.

"I'll start…and…you promise you won't laugh?" Sakaki asked.

Joe had to snicker a bit.

"Tanaka, we're married. In moments where you're burying your soul into me, I won't laugh at anything you say." Joe said, hugging her tighter.

Sakaki sighed heavily, but had to smile anyway. "OK, then, what did you want to know?"

"I think we should just talk about our high school years. That seems like a good place to start." Joe said, putting his head on the pillow.

"OK, then…" Sakaki started…

She told him everything she had never told anybody. Her obsession with cuteness, her natural athletic ability, her embarrassment with her own body, Kamineko and her constant attempts to try to pet him that always ended in a hardened bite, how she so badly wished she could be Chiyo for her cuteness (blushing as she did, expecting Joe to laugh, but instead he just continued to listen), how she finally met Mayaa, and that was the happiest moment in her life at that point.

"…and that's when I got accepted to the veterinarian school, and moved out on my own, and took care of Mayaa." Sakaki finished.

Joe sighed happily.

"Wow, now I see why you are the way you are…" Joe said. "…but at least you had some good friends in high school"

"So, your turn now…" Sakaki said.

"Can I cuddle up with you like you did me?" Joe asked.

Sakaki blushed a little bit, looked up at him, and smiled anyway. Sure, they were married, which meant she shouldn't have to be embarrassed about anything.

The two adjusted themselves, so now Sakaki's chin was resting on the top of Joe's head, and they were curled in close.

Joe sighed heavily. He thought about how to explain his world to Sakaki…

"OK, close your eyes and think back to high school." Sakaki did so "Now, imagine a new foreign exchange student coming to school. And he is hot. He makes all the girls woo at the sight of him, and you so wish you could have his babies, and maybe you even say it out loud, embarrassing yourself in the process, and the man in his own is one of the hottest guys on the planet...

Well, that's not me.

I'm the foreign exchange student that comes a few weeks later. I'm the guy who...the girls look at with a bit of a disgusted look, and the guys all feel the need to beat up on me. I'm the guy who is completely invisible to the rest of the school. I ask people if they want to be my friends, and they all ignore me, or walk away. I always felt hurt, and alone. I was a lone wolf in my school too, though it wasn't by choice."

Sakaki squirmed around as if she was having a bad dream. She could already imagine the hard time he had in high school.

"That wasn't even the beginning. I don't know what it was, but every guy felt the need to pick on me. And I mean EVERY guy. I didn't learn to defend myself until my senior year in high school. The buff guys often locked me in lockers, stole my lunch money, and even would tie me up in the girls locker rooms and bathrooms. And although the nerds didn't pick on me, they never actually became my friends either."

Joe could hear Sakaki almost crying. And truth be told, if he didn't run this story through his head every night, he'd be crying too. But this was his life story, and it felt so nice to finally be telling it to someone.

"And yet, nobody knew that deep down, it really did hurt. I was always alone, and I often…" Joe always found this part the hardest. "…cried myself to sleep at night."

He could already hear Sakaki crying hard. She hugged him tighter.

"And…none of that's made up?" Sakaki asked, wiping her eyes.

"It's all true, Tanaka. And now you see why I got that secret soda out of here as fast as I could. I love you, Tanaka, and I don't want to lose possibly the only girl that may ever love me." Joe said.

"I just wish you and I would have met in high school…" Sakaki said.

"Why's that?" Joe asked, pulling back and looking Sakaki in the eyes.

"…I would have loved to have been your friend. I know what it's like to be a lone wolf…"

Joe smiled. "Maybe that's why we're now married."

And the two lone wolves locked lips, and shared in a very romantic moment together.

Meanwhile, at the Mihama residence

…

Chiyo sat there typing at her computer. She couldn't be any more excited. Only four more days until her love, Shaun Miyamoto, finally came to Japan.

…

Author's notes: Yeah, I felt we kind of needed some character development on Joe's part, seeing as how we didn't know much about him.

So, basically saying, Joe was picked on all throughout high school, and in college he was mostly alone, until Chiyo showed up. She finally showed the good side of him, allowing many more people to become his friends. He then followed her to Japan, and that's when he met up with the rest of the Azu-girls.

So now we all know a bit more about Joe's past. Sakaki, a lone wolf by choice, and Joe, a lone wolf through ridicule and isolation, now happily married.

Next Chapter: Thanksgiving


	74. Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

Note: After the timeskip note at the beginning here, anything in () is said in a movie. You'll know what I'm talking about when you read it.

…

(Timeskip: September 30th)

…

"OK, they'll be coming from that direction!" Joe said, pointing down the empty road.

And so Koharu waited for her parents to start coming down the road.

A taxi came and pulled up, with Kaorin and Kagura in the back.

"Koharu!!" Kaorin said, immediately opening the door, running up, and giving her daughter a hug. "My gosh, the honeymoon was an absolute bore!! How we so missed you!!!"

Kagura couldn't help but smile. Oh, how 'boring' the honeymoon had been…

"So, did you have fun with Nekosa-chan?" Kaorin asked when she pulled back.

Koharu nodded. "Uh-huh!! We had some fun on her Otousan's Wii!!"

"Really?" Kagura asked. "I've gotta play that sometime... we still only have a N64 at home."

Koharu went up to Kagura, as Kagura bent down and the two shared a hug.

"So, did'ja miss us?" Kagura asked.

Koharu hugged her tighter.

"Uh-huh…it was lonely not being able to cuddle up with anyone at night!" Koharu said.

"Well, let's go home, and we can cuddle up, then…" Kagura said, looking at Kaorin, who looked back happily.

"Thanks again for taking care of Koharu, Joe-san and Sakaki-san…" Kaorin said, bowing.

"No problem." Joe said.

Sakaki nodded.

Kaorin walked over to Kagura, who immediately stood up, and met with a very romantic kiss. I mean REALLY romantic.

Sakaki blushed. "Woah…"

Joe's eyes went wide.

I think we need to go on our honeymoon soon… he thought

"Shall we go home?" Kaugra asked in a very slow, romantic tone, after pulling back

"We should, Natsuko" Kaorin said, grabbing hold of Kagura's hand.

Koharu grabbed hold of Kaorin's hand.

"Bye, Koharu-chan!!" Nekosa called out

"Bye, Nekosa-chan!!" Koharu called back.

And the Aida-Kagura family walked home. Joe said, his nose dripping blood.

"That was…wow…" Sakaki said, blushing slightly harder.

Joe, Sakaki, and Nekosa watched them walk away, before sighing heavily.

"Hey, I wonder…" Joe said before opening up his cell phone and making a call.

…

Chiyo was actually lying on her bed in her adult form, petting Tadaichi, smiling, and sighing happily. Shaun had to go off to work, but he would be back later. In the meantime, Chiyo was just going to lie down and enjoy her thoughts.

Chiyo's cell phone, which was on her dresser, started ringing.

Chiyo went over and grabbed it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Chiyo-chan, it's me, Joe. Do you know how to baste a turkey?"

"Of course!" Chiyo responded happily.

"So what do you think of inviting everybody to a little American holiday get together?" Joe asked.

"Um…what holiday?" Chiyo asked, a little confused at the request.

"Well, I'm going to be off at my job at the actual date of the holiday, but I was thinking Thanksgiving…" Joe said.

"OH!" Chiyo exclaimed. "Of course! I'd love to hold that sort of thing here!"

"Great! Sakaki, Nekosa, and I will be over there soon to help!" Joe said, and hung up.

Chiyo got up, and started running things through her head. She loved the fact that she now had something to do.

…

"Thanksgiving?" Sakaki asked. Nekosa was also waiting for a response to this question.

"It's a holiday celebrated in America for when the pilgrims sat down and had a peaceful meal with the Indians way back when America was first discovered." Joe said. "It's been all but forgotten now, due to it being overshadowed by Christmas."

"So, what do you do?" Nekosa asked.

"It's a big holiday where you get together with family and friends, and you celebrate by eating turkey, and many other things." Joe said.

"Oh, sounds like fun!" Nekosa said happily, displaying a really big closed-eyed smile.

Sakaki nodded in agreement.

"Ok, let's go help out Chiyo, then!" Joe said. "But before we go…"

Joe ran back inside the house, reached underneath the couch, and pulled out the tin box that Nekosa had found. He ran back outside with it.

"Let's see if Chiyo has a VCR…" Joe said, holding up the tin box.

…

So, all of the Azu-group, including Miruchi, Yuka, Chihiro, Yotsuba, Yukari, Nyamo, and Saotome all joined up at Chiyo's house, and enjoyed a very filling Thanksgiving dinner.

Koharu, Nekosa, Koyomiko, and Yotsuba all ran upstairs afterward to play Brawl on Joe's Wii, which he had setup for them, while the 'adults' enjoyed some conversation.

"So, how was the honeymoon, you two?" Chiyo asked.

"One of the most romantic weeks I've ever had…" Kaorin said in a dreamy tone.

She looked over at Kagura, and the two shared in a romantic kiss.

"Damn you all…" Yukari mumbled. "Hey, Chiyo-suke, you got any sake around?"

"In my father's wine cellar, but it's locked…" Chiyo responded.

"Oh, that's ok, then, I always pack my own!" Yukari responded happily, pulling a bottle of saki out of her purse.

Everybody sitting there immediately jumped Yukari, pulling the bottle of sake out of her hands, then keeping it away from her.

"You will not ruin this with your drinking!" Nyamo scorned.

"You guys need to learn to lighten up!" Yukari moaned.

"Yukari-sensei, you really need to stop over-drinking, it's bad for your health." Michiru said.

"Michiru, are you saying you won't drink at all when you hit the proper age?" Yuka asked, smiling evilly.

"I'm saying that in moderation, it doesn't hurt!" Michiru retorted.

"Hey, I've got a question for you two…" Joe said. "Chiyo's already got a boyfriend, what about you two?"

Chiyo blushed indecently as Michiru and Yuka looked at her.

"You do know the only thing guys really want from girls, right?" Yuka asked.

A cutting knife flew through the air and stuck into the table right by Yuka.

"Not every guy…" Joe said angrily.

Yuka glared at him before continuing with their conversation.

"Yuka, not every guy is as perverted as you say they are, just a vast majority of them are." Chiyo said.

"So, do you two have boyfriends?" Yukari asked.

"No." Michiru asked.

"Nope." Yuka responded.

"Good! Never get one! They're nothing but trouble anyway!" Yukari responded.

"Yeah, they could always become like those two over there…" Tomo said, thumbing over to Kaorin and Kagura, who were now lying on the floor, making out.

"Bleck!" Michiru and Yuka responded, causing everybody at the table to laugh.

…

Michiru, Yuka, Yukari, Nyamo, and Saotome all went home, leaving the Azu-group in Chiyo's house.

"So, Chiyo-san, we were wondering if you possibly have a VCR?" Joe asked, pointing to the tin box he had left at the door.

"Oh! Of course I do, in the living room!" Chiyo exclaimed.

…

The group now gathered around the TV set as the video started playing. Tomo, Yomi, Kagura and Kaorin sat down in front of the couch, with the three kids sitting on the couch. Standing in the back was Chiyo, Joe, Sakaki, Osaka, and Arata.

"I still remember burying that tape…" Osaka said. "I'm surprised you found it, Nekosa-chan."

"Yup!" Nekosa said, smiling happily. "I actually smelled you on that box!"

Osaka looked at Nekosa for a moment, before Osaka sniffed herself.

"I don't smell that bad…" Osaka said.

Arata sniffed Osaka.

"But you definitely have a 'Kasuga' smell to you…" Arata said.

Osaka sniffed Arata. "You have an Arata smell to you too…"

"OK, um…getting a little weird…even for you two…" Joe said, as the movie started up.

"Hey, I remember reading that…the dieting tips were pretty good," Yomi said, pointing to the magazine that Tomo was leaning over in the movie.

"Shhh!!" Tomo said, fully involved in the movie.

(Tomo comes running up to the camera.

"What's that?!" Tomo yelled.)

"Some things never change…" everybody mumbled.

"Oh, shut up…" Tomo grumbled back.

("It's a video camera" Chiyo says.

"Video camera?!" Tomo exclaims.

"Um…I was asked to do this…" Chiyo says)

"Hey, there's me!" Kaorin said, pointing off to the side. "I did make it in there after all!"

("Let me see it!!" Tomo yells, as the camera goes up into the air.

"Wait a second!!" Chiyo yells.

"It's OK! It's not you have anything to lose!" Tomo said

"Please be careful with it!" Chiyo exclaimed)

"I remember that! You almost broke my camera!" Chiyo said angrily.

"It's in the past, Chiyo, just let it go…" Joe said, as he continued to watch.

("Please don't break it…" Chiyo said, waving her arms in the air)

"You look cute back then…" Sakaki said, blushing slightly.

…

(A little while later)

Nekosa blushed furiously as her mother came on the screen, which in turn caused Sakaki to blush.

("Don't break it!" Yomi said, turning back toward her magazine

"Hmph!" Tomo said

Turning toward Osaka, then to…

"Video Camera!" Kagura exclaimed.)

"There's my Natusko-mama!" Koharu exclaimed, as she proceeded to give Kagura a hug around the neck.

("Yeah, a video camera!" Tomo exclaimed. "Do something flashy!"

"Um….um….um…." Kagura stumbled. "Oh!"

The kick came flying up, and hit the camera)

Everybody's gaze turned towards the now red-faced Kagura.

"hehehehe…." Kagura said, rubbing the back of her head with one hand in embarrassment.

"Natsuko-mama, that was bad…" Koharu scorned, as she let go of Kagura's neck.

The video came back up.

("You should at least knock." Nyamo scorned.

"Where's Yukari-chan?" Tomo asked.

Nyamo's head bobbed in the direction.

Tomo's camera focused on…

Yukari sleeping at her messy desk.

"Fast asleep…" Tomo said.)

"Some things never change…" Everybody said.

"Well, that was interesting. It was nice to see what you guys looked like in high school!" Joe said, even nudging Sakaki a bit, who blushed.

"Well, I guess we should all thank Nekosa-chan for finding the video in the first place!" Koharu said.

"Thank you, Nekosa-chan!" They all said.

Nekosa's face turned red, as she buried it in her cat-paws in embarrassment.

And it looked so cute when she did it that everybody, including Arata and Joe, had to blush at her cuteness. Sakaki, for the first time in a long time, had to cover her mouth and shiver at the cuteness overload.

…

Author's notes: I guess it was thanks to Hallwings pointing it out, but nobody really celebrates Thanksgiving anymore... and even to myself, it's viewed as the day before the biggest shopping day of the year.

So, Hallwings, this chapter is dedicated to you.

Next Chapter: The New Azu-guy arrives in Japan


	75. The New Azuguy Arrives in Japan

The New Azu-guy Arrives in Japan

…

And so it would be that winter officially started, and Joe went off to his job. Sakaki would have to wake up slightly earlier to get herself ready and get Nekosa off to her parent's house, but she always remembered that Joe was working his hardest, and she would too. (Plus, he was sleeping way less than she was, thanks to that 'nightmare' headband)

But we now change focus to Chiyo Mihama, and time-skip to October 2nd.

…

GameCreator64 logged off. Chiyo turned off her computer, and began getting ready for work.

It was already 8:00am. Chiyo had to go off to work, but by the time she got done, she could run down to the airport, and meet up with Shaun

She let Tadaichi-san out for the first time in the morning, and then set off to work in her child form.

…

Meanwhile, at an airport in Connecticut (where it is 6pm the previous day)

…

"Are you sure about this?" Shaun's mother asked.

"I'm sure. My friend had brought his new Japanese friends over for a vacation here, and now I'm in love with one of them." Shaun said. "Don't worry, Mom, I've always got my sister to show me around."

"Why do I have to be his chauffeur?" Rebecca mumbled, her arms crossed angrily.

"Aww…Poor Becky is all pouty…" Himeko said, making a pouty face herself. "But Himeko will make it all better!" And she prepped up to give Rebecca a hug.

WHAM!!! Rebecca's fist hit Himeko's forehead right on.

"You do NOT hug me in public!!!!" Rebecca screamed.

"Maho…." Himeko moaned, face-down on the ground.

"Well, Mom, I'm gonna get going." Shaun said.

Shaun and his mom shared one final hug.

"Have fun, and be safe!" Shaun's mother said, giving her son a kiss on the cheek.

"I will be. I love you." Shaun said.

Rebecca pulled on Shaun's shirt, pulling him away.

"C'mon, lover boy, let's go home!" Rebecca grumbled angrily.

"Say hi to your father for me!!" Shaun's mother yelled, waving good-bye.

"I will! Bye!!" Shaun said, waving back.

As the plane took off, Shaun's mother sighed.

"You know, I think I should go visit Japan. It's going to be so lonely here without anybody…"

…

Shaun stared out the window, still in utter and pure excitement.

"I can't wait…Chiyo's gonna be there waiting for me!"

"Onii-chan, you are one love-struck human." Becky moaned, continuing to read her magazine.

"Awww…poor Becky…" Himeko said.

"Katagiri-san, I would suggest just sitting back in your seat. She's mad enough already." Shaun warned.

"All poor Becky needs is a…" Himeko stopped as Rebecca grabbed her ahoge with one hand without even looking up.

"Sit back in your seat." Rebecca said in a very demanding tone.

"Yes…B-Becky…" Himeko said fearfully.

…

10 hours later (aka 6:00pm in Japan)

…

Chiyo finally made it to the airport. She had calculated that Shaun's plane would land at approximately 11:00pm. She sighed and sat back. Sleep, of, course, would not come to her, as it hadn't over the past few days. Her adrenaline and excitement had kept her up over the past few days.

"Finally, he's coming…" Chiyo said. "Just a few more hours, and we'll finally be reunited."

Chiyo looked at her hands and realized she was still in child form.

"Oh, suppose I should go prep up…" Chiyo said to herself, as she got up and went to the women's bathroom, her pigtails moving up and down as she walked.

…

5 hours after that (aka 11:00pm in Japan)

…

The plane finally landed and let out all of its passengers. Rebecca stretched out her 11-year-old muscles, and stepped down the stairs.

Shaun got off the plane, and looked around for Chiyo, but couldn't spot her bright orange hair.

Maybe she's waiting for me outside…Shaun thought.

"Lookin' for your girlfriend?" Becky asked, a small evil grin beginning to show.

"Yeah, so?" Shaun asked, still looking around.

"hmhmhmmmm… maybe she didn't show…" Becky said evilly.

"She did show!! I just can't see her right now!!!" Shaun said angrily. Sometimes, his little sister really peeved him off.

"Riiiiiight…" Becky said, even chuckling a little bit to herself.

Shaun cracked his knuckles a bit in anger.

Himeko put one hand on Shaun's shoulder.

"She will show up!" Himeko said confidently.

"Thanks, Katagiri-san…" Shaun said.

Rebecca, Himeko, and Shaun continued to walk through the airport.

As Himeko and Rebecca got ahead of Shaun, someone put something to Shaun's back.

"Give me all your money!" the person said.

Rebecca and Himeko turned and gasped.

Shaun put his hands up.

Well, that figures, first time to Japan, and I get mugged, Shaun thought.

And as quickly as it happened, Shaun was whipped around, and kissed passionately by his 'mugger', who just happened to be Chiyo in her adult form.

Chiyo pulled back. "Welcome to Japan, Shaun Miyamoto…" Chiyo said.

"Thanks for the warm greeting, Chiyo Mihama…" Shaun said.

They're eyes locked, and they shared in another passionate kiss.

"Bleck!" Rebecca said, making a disgusted face.

"They've…been reunited…" Himeko said, her eyes already filling up with tears. "Mahoooooooooooooooo!" Himeko began crying a waterfall of tears that went flying out in either direction of her face.

"You always break down in emotional moments like this, don't you?" Rebecca moaned, now holding an umbrella above her head to keep from getting wet.

A janitor went by, placing "Caution – Wet Floor" signs as he went.

Shaun and Chiyo remained in this passionate kiss state for a while, before finally pulling back.

"I'm…kind of tired…" Chiyo said, her eyes already half closing "Let's go home…"

Chiyo fell asleep. 5 days of not sleeping finally caught up to her, and she fell right against the chest of her lover that she had waited so long for.

Shaun managed to turn himself around, and lift Chiyo on his back, now giving her a piggy-back ride. Chiyo's arms wrapped around Shaun's neck, and Chiyo continued to sleep on the back of Shaun.

"Well, guess we'd better go…" Shaun said, as he grabbed his luggage, and wheeled it out with him.

Shaun and Rebecca split up (Himeko, of course, went with Rebecca). Shaun called for a taxi, but a different car pulled up. Shaun just shrugged his shoulders, figuring a friend of Chiyo's was helping. He put Chiyo in the car, put his luggage in the trunk, and then got in the back of the car with Chiyo. Shaun then moved Chiyo's head so that it was resting on his shoulder.

The driver then spoke up.

"So, you two love birds headed to Chiyo-chan's house, eh?"

Chiyo's eyes snapped wide awake, full of fear.

"Yu…yu…yu…Yuka…"

"What?" Shaun asked.

"Well, since I know where she lives, I'll just drive you guys there." Yukari said.

And before Shaun could say "Thank you" Yukari put the pedal to the metal. Literally.

And Shaun now experienced first hand the true terror of the Yukarimobile, and Yukari's driving.

Chiyo couldn't stop screaming.

…

The car came to a screeching halt outside the wall to Chiyo's home.

Yukari got out, looking very happy, and opened the door. Shaun fell to the ground.

"I think...I just traveled on the Highway To Hell...don't make me take it again" Shaun said, shaking on the ground.

Yukari looked back.

"Aw, damn, I lost my side view mirror again…" Yukari moaned.

Shaun began shaking harder.

But his mind suddenly snapped, and realized that poor Chiyo was still stuck in the car.

"Chiyo!! Chiyo!!!" Shaun yelled, trying to stand back up. His legs felt like Jell-O.

Chiyo continued to just stare straight ahead. With this being her third time riding with the wild Yukari, her mind was totally gone.

Shaun managed to finally stand up, and jumped back into the car, unbuckled Chiyo, and pulled her out of the vehicle.

"Chiyo, speak to me!!!" Shaun yelled.

Chiyo just stared straight ahead, unresponsive.

Shaun tried thinking hard, but he was panicking. He was no doctor, but he could tell that unresponsiveness was bad.

"Geez, she's such a drama queen…" Yukari said.

"It's because of your stupid driving that she ended up like this in the first place!!!" Shaun yelled.

"You put her in the car…" Yukari retorted angrily.

This immediately silenced Shaun. It had been true that he had, but he hadn't known the danger that had awaited him.

"Well, I'm going now, to see if Nyamo's makin' out with her boyfriend. See ya!" Yukari said.

"My stuff's still in the trunk!" Shaun said, hugging Chiyo to see if that would bring her back.

Yukari stopped, grumbled a bit, went to the back of her vehicle, opened it up, tossed Shaun's stuff out of the trunk, then got back in and drove away.

Shaun pulled Chiyo away from him, and looked her in the eyes. The pure terror she had in her eyes…

Shaun took a deep breath, and looked around to make sure no one else was watching.

He leaned her back, and gave her the most romantic, passionate kiss she could ever get.

Shaun pulled back.

"Sh-Shaun? What happened?" Chiyo asked.

Shaun immediately hugged her.

"Oh, thank god you're ok! I was so worried." Shaun said.

"But…what happened?" Chiyo asked.

"You ended up going for a ride with Yukari-san…" Shaun said.

Chiyo's arms immediately wrapped around Shaun, almost breaking him right in half.

"Don't let me go in that vehicle with that woman ever again!!!" Chiyo screamed.

"I…can't really…stop her…if you…break me…in half…Chiyo…" Shaun gasped out.

Chiyo instantly let go, and Shaun let out a gasp of air.

"Sorry…" Chiyo said sullenly.

"Nah, that's ok…" Shaun said.

"Shaun….I'm sorry. This is your first time to Japan, and it's been horrible so far. You've had to take care of me, and you went for a ride with Yukari-sensei. This is all my fault." A tear ran down Chiyo's face.

"No, no, no. It's not your fault." Shaun said, looking Chiyo in the eyes. "I put us into the Yukari-mobile, and that was my fault. So, it was my responsibility to take care of you, that's what friends do."

"So…we're just friends?" Chiyo asked looking at him.

"Well, the word 'friend' is in 'boyfriend' too…" Shaun said smiling.

Chiyo smiled a bit, and had to give him a hug, as a few tears fell down her face. Oh, to finally feel the warmth of someone else's love, like all her other friends already had.

"Let's…go inside then…" Chiyo said, now pulling back.

Shaun grabbed his things, and began toting them into Chiyo's house.

"Wow, you gotta big house…" Shaun said, as he looked at it from the lawn.

"It's not much…" Chiyo said.

Not much?! Shaun thought, looking at the big house in utter awe.

Chiyo let Shaun in, and he was even more amazed.

"This place is huge!!" Shaun said, his voice echoing.

Chiyo giggled a bit. Reminded her of the first time her high school friends came over.

"Are you…hungry at all?" Chiyo asked, her voice was quiet.

"N-no, I'm fine." Shaun said, his head still staring at that huge chandelier on the ceiling.

"So…um…what would you like to do, then?" Chiyo asked.

"Um…" Shaun's gaze now darted from the ceiling to the rest of the house. "I think I'll just go to bed, seeing as how it's close to…" Shaun checked his watch, which had been reset to Japan time. "…Midnight."

"OK, then" Chiyo said, her voice still low. "Follow me…"

Chiyo walked Shaun upstairs to her bedroom, where Chiyo already had a spare futon set up.

"Awwww… you mean we won't be sleeping together?" Shaun asked.

"Sorry, Shaun, but my parents probably wouldn't like it…" Chiyo said, though she was obviously down heartened by it.

Shaun set his luggage down in the room, unzipped it, and thought for a minute.

"Could you…get me some tea?" Shaun asked.

"Sure I can." Chiyo said, smiling a bit, though her voice was still very low. Chiyo left to go get some tea.

She's tired, Shaun thought, as he quickly changed from his street clothes to PJs.

…

Chiyo brought the tea up to Shaun, and he drank it down.

"Thank you." Shaun said, setting his cup back down on the tray Chiyo brought up with her.

"No problem…" Chiyo said. "So, all ready for bed?"

"Yeah…" Shaun said, looking at his futon. He didn't really want to sleep there…

"Well, it'll just be a minute for me…" Chiyo said, as she walked over to her dresser.

Shaun made sure to turn away, and not to peek at all when Chiyo changed.

"OK, I'm ready…" Chiyo said.

Shaun looked back at Chiyo, and their eyes met.

A moment of silence for the both of them.

"Well, goodnight then…" Chiyo said.

"Goodnight…" Shaun said, turning off the light.

…

Neither of them could fall asleep. Even though they both felt tired because neither of them had slept much, they just couldn't sleep.

After about 20 minutes, Shaun suddenly jumped up on Chiyo's bed, and laid down next to her.

"Gah!! Shaun, what are you doing?!" Chiyo asked, still whispering so as to not wake up her parents.

"I can't sleep…" Shaun said.

Chiyo sighed. "Neither can I. I'm so afraid that if I do, I'll end up in Yukari's vehicle again…"

Shaun put one arm out toward's Chiyo, and started to pull her in.

"Shaun! What are you doing?!' Chiyo asked again.

"I'm pulling you in close." Shaun said.

"But what about my parents?!" Chiyo asked, getting nervous.

"Don't worry about it. We're not doing anything. We're just…cuddling."

Chiyo was now pulled all the way in towards Shaun, so that her cheek rested against Shaun's chest, and she looked up at the ceiling.

Chiyo recognized this a bit. She had seen Sakaki and Joe like this before…

It's… so warm…Chiyo thought.

Her eyes began to droop. Even though she hadn't been able to sleep before, she suddenly felt very tired.

No…can't…Yukari's vehicle…Chiyo thought, trying to keep herself awake.

Shaun put one arm around Chiyo, and cuddled her.

That arm around her was so comforting. Like a warm blanket of love and caring, it gave Chiyo a good sense of security, like Yukari's vehicle wasn't going to be allowed near her now.

Chiyo's eyes fell all the way closed, and within seconds, she was in a deep slumber.

Shaun moved Chiyo's hair, and kissed her forehead.

"I love you…Chiyo Mihama…" Shaun said. He adjusted himself a little bit, and fell asleep.

And the two lovers, who had spent the past 5 days not sleeping over excitement for each other, fell asleep in the same bed for the first time.

…

Author's notes: From where Shaun was flying from there is a 14 hour difference from there to Japan.

I love the way time-zones screw with your mind (JBK's eye twitches)

Next Chapter: The Nightmares 2!


	76. The nightmares 2

The Nightmares 2

Note: Remember, these are all dream sequences, so ANYTHING can happen.

Note2: Anything in parentheses () happens outside the dream sequences, and any dialogue is spoken by Joe in parentheses.

…

"Do a barrel-roll!" Kaorin yells.

After all the bad guys have been blasted by the Arwings that Chiyo, Kaorin, Yomi, and Sakaki are piloting, three different Arwings come out of the sky.

"Wait, isn't that the emblem for the Star Wolf team?" Chiyo asks.

"Hehe…that it be, Chiyo-suke…" Tomo said.

"You guys think you're so tough, well, we'll show you!" Kagura announces.

"I'll show all these aliens who's boss!!" Osaka yells.

"Team Bonkuras, let's get 'em!!" Tomo says, as the Arwings pilot themselves to fight Team Chiyo.

…

"Joe-san, I'm afraid that you haven't been treating me with decency and respect. I'm going to file for divorce." Sakaki said, and turned and began walking away.

"But…Tanaka! I've always treated you with decency and respect!! I love you!!" Joe yelled, trying to go after her.

However, someone stopped him, pulled him back, and put him in a chokehold.

"I see you have disappointed my daughter…" Daichi said, his voice sending chills up Joe's spine. "Now I shall break your neck, and bend your body into a pretzel."

(As Daichi moved to break his neck, Joe snapped awake, sweating hard. "Her father is gonna haunt my nightmares forever" Joe said to himself.)

(And he was right. At least half, if not more, of his nightmares at work consisted of Daichi somehow breaking him in half)

…

Sakaki and Kamineko are having a staredown.

"You think you're special?" Sakaki asked. "Ha!!"

A light flashed, and now Sakaki had bright yellow hair, and green eyes.

"I'll show you special…" Sakaki said, smiling evilly.

Kamineko snickered, as he turned yellow as well.

"Raaaaaarrrrrhhhh!!" he roared out, as a bright light flashed from him as well.

Kamineko now had a glowing yellow mane, something like that of a lion's.

"Is that a Super Cat 3?!" Sakaki asked in shock.

Kamineko charged up one beam in his mouth, and fired, decimating Sakaki where she stood.

("I gotta stop watching DBZ…")

…

Joe was walking along the road when Kaorin dropped out of the sky, and landed on her feet right in front of him.

"I will not let you get Sakaki-san!!" Kaorin screamed, her razor-teeth showing.

Kaorin suddenly shot a fireball out of her mouth, which Joe just barely dodged.

Kaorin continued to shoot flames, all of which Joe barely dodges. He suddenly runs at Kaorin, slides under her, stands up, and stomps on the button behind her.

The ground opens up, and Kaorin falls in.

"GAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!" Kaorin screams.

Joe runs, reaches home, and opens the door.

Tomo is standing there.

"Sorry, Joe, but your princess is in another castle!"

("GAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!")

…

Koyomiko is standing there in a black suit that leaves only her legs and arms exposed. Her arms and legs have symbols that glow a light blue on them. Koyomiko is also wearing an all-to-recognizable helmet, that covers up one of her eyes. She has fangs coming out of either side of her mouth.

Wait, she looks like Midna! Joe thought.

Koyomiko floats a bit, then lands herself so she's now riding on top of a wolf.

"Mama looks good as a wolf!" Koyomiko said, patting the Tomo/wolf.

"I'll say." Yomi said, wearing a big smile. She had on a beautiful dress, but her ears were pointy.

Tomo growled.

"What is it, Mama?" Koyomiko asked.

"With the Triforce of Power, I'll kill you all!!!" Yukari screamed from outside, as she charged up a huge energy ball, and launched it at the castle, destroying those inside.

("Wow, who knew Twilight Princess would come back to haunt my dreams?")

…

Joe and Yukari stand close to each other.

Joe pulls his Wii-mote out of his pocket, and pushes a button to make it a Lightsaber.

Yukari pulls out her 360 controller, and pushes a button to make it an Energy Sword.

Then a third, random guy ran out into the middle of them.

"Why wasn't I invited to this?!!" The man screamed

"Hi, PS3 boy," Joe said, "…and you weren't invited because, to plainly say, you suck."

"Yeah; in fact, your only positive is this…" Yukari said, as she shoved her Energy Sword into the chest of PS3 boy, causing him to bleed profusely.

"Gah….I'm bleeding and dying…" PS3 boy fell to the ground. "…In high definition!!"

"Wow, those graphics make it look like you're almost realistically dying…" Yukari said, staring on.

Joe looked sick. Those guts….they look….so real….

(Joe woke up, ran to the bathroom, and threw up)

…

Joe was running through the woods. He looks around, obviously lost.

"Damn you, Geno!" he yelled, as he runs off in a different direction.

He comes out in the same spot again, this time wearing a green tunic, holding a sword and shield.

"Damn you, Saria!"

("This job is getting to me." Joe said after waking up. "I mean, it OBVIOUSLY can't be because I play too many video games.")

…

Chiyo are standing in front of Yotsuba.

Yotsuba redoes her hair so that all the pigtails are in the original spot, but they are now Chiyo-like pigtails.

Suddenly all the pigtails start moving up and down, and Yotsuba flies off the ground.

"And the best part is…" Yotsuba yells "…I have more power and control with four pigtails instead of just two!!!"

Yotsuba flies at the ground, and veers away at the last second, and is now flying millimeters from the ground.

She flies back up, and does all sorts of tricky aerial maneuvers.

"Man, I could never do that with only two…" Chiyo whines.

("Osaka-san, you are SUCH and influence in my life…")

…

It is raining heavily.

Joe is walking down a road that is already flooded enough to make puddles. He is wearing a black overcoat that droops down to his ankles, and he is also wearing sunglasses.

All around him, Tomo clones in black suits with sunglasses watch him walk out.

Joe looks around at all the clones, even looking up into the buildings, and noticing all the clones staring at him.

Music plays in the background:

_asato ma sad gamaya! Asato ma sad gamaya!_

Joe turns his attention back to the center of the road, where one Tomo clone walks out on its own to face him.

_tamaso ma jyotir gamaya mrtyor mamrtam gamaya!_

"Mr. Sakaki, welcome back." The one Tomo spoke in English. "We missed you."

( "That…was just plain out weird…")

…

"Joe!!" Tomo screamed, looking angry.

"What is it, Takino?" Joe asked.

A whole bunch of little mini Tomo's came running up.

"Daddy!!" They all said at once.

(Joe woke up screaming)

…

"Graaaaaaah!!" Koyomiko screamed.

She was Godzilla sized again, and now she was reigning terror on the streets of Tokyo.

A giant robot came around the corner, and now stood on the opposite side of the road.

"I told you switching places with the Super Sentai was a good idea!" The red ranger said. "Let's take care of this beast!!!"

"You'd better watch out!!! I've got crayons!!!" and Koyomiko threw crayons at the giant robot, causing it to fall back…right on top of the watching Joe.

("Since when did Japan of the present and America of my childhood collide?!")

…

"From this day forth, you shall now be known as Darth…" Tomo paused for a minute. "…Osaka"

"Thank you, my master." Osaka said, still kneeling.

"Now, Darth Osaka, arise." Tomo said, in a very Darth Sideous-y tone.

"Yes, my master." Osaka said, standing up. Her eyes had changed to a very creepy orange.

("May the gods all help us with Darth Osaka on the loose…")

…

Joe and Chiyo are walking down a crowded street, people are pushing themselves past Joe, but don't seem to be touching Chiyo

Chiyo began talking. "Joe, you look around, what do you see? Bad drivers…."

Yukari goes screaming by in her Yukari-mobile

"Gym teachers"

Nyamo walks by

"All of these people are trying to protect the very thing we are trying to destroy, and…"

Chiyo's voice fades out as Sakaki goes walking by in a hot red dress.

"Joe!!"

Joe looked back at Chiyo

"Were you paying attention to me, or were you paying attention to the woman in the red dress?" Chiyo asked.

Joe blushed and started to stutter. "I was just…uh…"

"Look again"

Joe looked back to see Tomo, completely naked.

(Joe snapped awake. "Scarred for life, scarred for life, scarred for life…")

…

Joe saw Shaun and Chiyo together, except they were much more grown up.

"Joe, Chiyo and I had a child!" Shaun said happily.

"Really?" Joe asked.

"Uh-huh!" Chiyo said, showing him the 6-month-old-looking baby.

"Awwww….it's so cute!" Joe said.

"I'm a she, thank you very much!" the child said, making Joe jump back.

"I feel insulted by your comments, and you must now pay the price…" the child said, raising her hand at him.

"Now, now, be nice, he's a friend…" Shaun said.

"What did we say about using your ESP on people?" Chiyo asked her child.

"He must still die!" The child said, before closing her hand into a fist, which caused Joe to explode.

(Joe woke up sweating profusely. One particular math equation ran through his head, making him believe that the nightmare could someday become real:

Child genius + Child genius Super child Genius)

…

(and the grand finale)

Joe and Sakaki are kissing passionately. Joe removes Sakaki's shirt…

…to find another shirt underneath.

"What the…?" Joe removes that shirt to find another shirt.

And another…and another…and another…and another…

"What in the world?!" Joe yelled.

"What? I get cold…" Sakaki says.

…

Author's notes: So, rips in this episode include, in order of appearance: StarFox 64, DBZ, Original Super Mario Bros., Twilight Princess, Super Mario RPG, Matrix Revolutions, Godzilla, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, Star Wars Episode III (which actually came off of a picture on DA) , and finally the original Matrix

As for the PS3 rip, I hope I'm not insulting any Play Station fanboys out there. But the PS3 has no good games for it as of right now, and it's only benefits are the blu-ray disc player and the Hi-Def graphics. Please don't hate me!!

Next Chapter: December's end


	77. December's End

December's end

…

11:00pm, December 21st

…

Joe began walking home, finally taking off his 'nightmare' headband. It had been another 2 ½ months at his job and he was glad it was finally over.

Joe placed his headband in a bag he was carrying with him that was filled with gifts. Since he hadn't been able to plan it out with everybody this year, they weren't going to be perfect gifts, but they were still good gifts nonetheless.

I wonder if everybody's gone out to sing karaoke… Joe thought as he walked up to his door and unlocked it.

Someone snuck up behind him, got him in a headlock, and started giving him power noogies.

"Owowowwowow!!!!" Joe screamed.

"This is what you get for not inviting me to your wedding!!!" Shaun said, making the noogies harder.

"Glad to see you too…" Joe said after Shaun let go. He began to rub his head where he had been noogied so hard.

"Well, I've gotta say, being in Japan doesn't seem so bad in comparative to the states…there's barely any snow on the ground." Shaun said, looking at the snow.

"Yeah, well, it's not that good for snowball wars, I'll tell you that…" Joe said.

"Snowball wars?" Shaun asked. He had been born actually somewhere in the costal US, which meant he didn't get as much snow there.

"I'll explain later." Joe said.

He opened up the door, and Nekosa immediately jumped him and knocked him to the ground.

"Otousan!!! Welcome home!!!!" Nekosa said happily, giving him a big hug, and rubbing cheek to cheek.

"hehe…missed you too, Nekosa, although I think the greeting could be worked on a bit…" Joe said, smiling happily.

Sakaki came walking out of the house, smiling.

It was at that point that the two-and-a-half months Joe had spent at his job all become worthwhile.

Nekosa let go of Joe, and he immediately stood up, walked over to Sakaki, and gave her a very romantic, passionate kiss.

"Bleck!" Nekosa said, making a disgusted face.

"Hey, when you grow up, you'll do that too…" Shaun said, slightly laughing at Nekosa.

"Ewwwww! Gross!! I'm never gonna do that!!" Nekosa said.

"I missed you, Tanaka…" Joe whispered to her, their faces centimeters from each others.

"I missed you too, Joe…" Sakaki said.

A quick kiss was given again, and then Joe hugged her tightly.

"I had an awful nightmare that you divorced me…" Joe said, hugging her tighter.

"You know I would never do that…" Sakaki said quietly.

"I know, but it still scared me…" Joe said, crying a bit.

Joe pulled back, and wiped away a tear from his eye.

"Well, drop your stuff inside; we're headed off to karaoke…" Sakaki said.

"OK, then…" Joe quickly ran inside, dropped his stuff on the table, and ran back out, making sure to lock the door.

…

And everybody met up at Chiyo's house, where they all enjoyed singing out their hearts in Karaoke…

Including, to everyone's dismay, Yomi…

"Well, she's gotten a bit better, at least…" Joe said, covering his ears.

"What?!" Tomo screamed from right next to him.

"I'm sorry!!! I'm sorry!!!" Koyomiko kept screaming, as if she was getting punished by having to listen to her Kaa-san sing.

"Her singing is like running through hell!!" Shaun said.

"Please, just end it now…" Osaka whined.

So…this is Yomi's singing…now I see why Osaka fears it…Arata thought

…

After Yomi stopped singing, the group sat around, wondering what to do next.

"So, explain to me this 'snowball wars' thing…" Shaun said.

That's when Joe got the idea. And it seemed like everybody else got the same one.

"We could have a snowball fight!" They all said.

…

So, on their way to the park (since they figured the school grounds wasn't big enough anymore to hold their kind of snowball fight), Joe explained a 'snowball war' to Shaun.

"…Wow, sounds dangerous…" Shaun said after Joe got done explaining.

"As long as everybody remembers that it's all in good fun, nobody ever gets hurt…too badly." Joe said happily.

"Too…badly?" Shaun asked, shivering a bit.

…

They arrived at the park, and split into teams. Joe, Sakaki, Nekosa, Chiyo, and Shaun were on one team. Yomi, Tomo, Koyomiko, Kagura, Kaorin, Koharu, Osaka, and Arata were all on the other team.

But just as the first snowball was about to be thrown, someone called out.

"Hey!!!"

The group turned to see Chihiro, Yotsuba, Yuka, and Michiru all coming into the park as well.

"So, you guys about to have a snowball fight?" Chihiro asked.

"What's a snowball fight?" Yotsuba asked Chihiro.

"It's where you roll up the snow into a ball, like this…" Chihiro said, bending down, picking up some snow, and rolling it up into the perfect snowball. "…and then you throw it at people to try to hit them."

"Oh, OK, then!!" Yotsuba said, displaying that happy smile of hers.

"So, you guys have room for four more?" Michiru asked.

"Sure, we split up into teams, but luckily there's four of you, so this will work out well." Joe said.

"Wait, you guys are three down…" Yuka said, counting out the groups.

"Well, Joe-san's gotta lot of experience in the snow, he counts as four people." Kagura said.

"Oh…" Yuka said.

"We call Chihiro!!" Kaorin called out.

Chihiro and Yotsuba joined Kaorin's group, while Yuka and Michiru joined up with their old grade school friend Chiyo.

Joe decided to count down. "OK, then, ready….set…."

"Go!!" Koharu screamed as she threw the first snowball.

The snowball came screaming by Joe, as he just barely dodged. It hit a tree behind him, and made the trunk crack.

Everybody stared in awe at the tree, then slowly turned their heads to Koharu, who was already making another snowball.

"Scatter! Make yourselves less of an easy target!!" Chiyo yelled, and their group scattered. The other group followed suit.

And the snowball fight was excellent fun. Because they now knew of Joe's power, they wouldn't leave him alone long enough to actually make any number of snowballs, usually only about one or two, with Koharu also keeping him in check easily.

Yotsuba enjoyed the snowball fight as well. With it being her first one, she actually did pretty well.

…

Timeskip: Christmas Day

…

Everybody had gathered at Chiyo's house after they had given their gifts for the day. Chiyo was having a huge Christmas party, seeing as how her parents were out.

They all sat around at a table, staring at the food in front of them, because two people hadn't shown up.

Specifically, Kaorin and Koharu.

"Hey, Kagura, where's your wife?" Shaun asked.

"I don't know. Someone called me up asking about a strained muscle they had because of carrying Christmas presents. I had to go check on them, but I told Kaorin I'd come straight here…" Kagura said.

"Do you have her cell phone number?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, hold on…" Kagura said, as she whipped out her cell phone.

…

A few minutes earlier

…

"C'mon, Koharu, we're gonna be late!!!" Kaorin yelled at the front door.

Koharu came running out, putting her jacket on as she ran.

Kaorin and Koharu came running out the door, and stopped dead in their tracks at the sight before them.

Kaorin gasped.

…

Return to the present

…

Kagura speed-dialed Kaorin's cell phone number.

"Hello?" Kaorin asked.

"Kaorin, where are you?" Kagura asked.

"I'm on my way right now," Kaorin said. "Could you ask Chiyo-chan if it's ok if I bring a few more friends?"

"Oi, Chiyo-chan" Kagura asked Chiyo. "Is it ok if Kaorin brings over a few more friends?"

"Sure!" Chiyo said, smiling happily. "Just ask how many, so we can prepare!"

"She says sure, she just needs to know how many…" Kagura said back to Kaorin in the cell phone.

"Tell her…" Kaorin counted out. "7 more."

"Got it, 7 more" Kagura said outloud, so Chiyo could hear as well. "Well, see you soon."

"Love you, Natsuko." Kaorin said.

"Love you, Kaorin" Kagura said, as she hung up the phone.

"OK, there's spare tables in the closet over there," Chiyo said, pointing to a closet underneath the stairway. "Shaun, Joe…if you wouldn't mind."

Joe and Shaun got up to go into the closet. Kagura got up, and followed them in as well.

…

"Hey, Joe, why do we need to get the spare tables?" Shaun asked, as Joe picked out one table.

"Probably because we're the guys, we gotta do the heavy lifting…" Joe said, as he and Shaun lifted up the table.

"God…it's heavy…" Shaun whined.

"I…know…" Joe said, gritting his teeth.

Kagura walked by, and lifted up another table by herself.

"You guys are such wusses!" she said, walking out of the closet.

"Never…mention this…to anybody…" Shaun grunted, as the two guys hauled out a table that Kagura had easily lifted herself.

…

So the Azu-group waited around, talking a bit. Kagura had no idea who Kaorin would be bringing over on Christmas.

The intercom buzzed, and Chiyo went over to answer it.

"Hi!" Chiyo said. "Ah, Kaorin!! Hang on, I'll open the gate!!"

Chiyo pushed the button to open the gate, then ran to the door. She noticed how her adult body could make up so much more ground faster over her child body.

"Kaorin!!" Chiyo yelled, waving and calling out to her nearing friend. "Ah, so those must be the…" Chiyo stopped and gasped.

Kaorin came walking in, one of the biggest, happiest smiles on her face. Following her was Koharu, who looked about equally happy. Then following Koharu were the seven girls that looked familiar to every last one of the Azu-girls.

"Guys, I think you all remember these girls from a while back…" Kaorin said, as all the girls walked in.

Standing there, in a line, were seven high school girls that looked exactly like the Azu-girls did in high school.

"For those that don't know them, this is Chiya, Kyoto, Tami, Yomo, Kogora, Suzuki, and Korin" Kaorin introduced. "They used to be orphans of an orphanage that was almost put out by a man obsessed with money."

"Oh, We completely forgot!!" Korin said.

The seven girls that were standing in a line all group-hugged Kaorin.

"We never thanked you properly for that awesome Christmas." Korin said.

Kaorin started crying at this very emotional moment, and gladly accepted the hugs given to her.

…

Somewhere else in Japan

…

"Well, guys, it'd be 4 years ago today that our lives got ruined by a bunch of girls…" a man named Tomozawa Shu said, as he took another drink of alcohol.

"I thought they told you at the AA meeting you can't drink that stuff anymore…" A girl named Rei Mitzuki said.

"I can't help it. Every year, I think back to that damn girl Sakaki getting me put in prison." Shu said.

"I know what you mean…Damn Kagura…broke my arm, I ended up in a cast for weeks, and because of it, wasn't allowed to compete in the swim meet of our lives. Damn Kagura got accepted to a prestigious school known for its sports, and I got some second rate school!" Rei yelled angrily.

"At least your losses were physical. I lost the thing that was most precious to me…" a man dressed in a completely messed up suit, named Kazu Kobayashi, said.

"Kazu, just because money is the most precious to you doesn't mean we should pity you the most." Rei retorted.

"Sounds to me like you guys have the same hatred I do for a few people…" a voice said.

The three heads turned to see where the voice came from. And out of the shadows popped Laharl. Although he was wearing a bunch of bandages.

"What happened to you?" Shu asked.

"I objected to the wedding of a certain Kaorin Aida and Natsuko Kagura, and a woman named Tomo Takino and her daughter beat me hard, but not until after this very large guy putting me in this wrestling maneuvers." Laharl said, limping over and sitting down at the table.

"You mean Kaorin and Kagura married?!!" Rei shouted.

"Yeah, why?" Laharl asked, completely unaware that Rei knew Kagura.

Rei laughed hard. "Kagura ended up becoming a lesbian!!! That's too much!!!"

"Then I guess I won't tell you that she's very happy with her choice…" Laharl said sullenly.

This instantly killed the humor, and even made Rei angry. "Damn you Kagura!!! Even when I'm laughing at you, you still haunt me!!"

Shu held up his bottle. "To us, the people who's lives have been ruined by these girls."

"Hai…" the three remaining said, holding up their fists half-heartedly.

…

Back at Chiyo's

…

The seven girls had now lined themselves up at the table.

"So, um…" Kaorin said, trying to strike up conversations with their old friends. "…how's Gram Gram?"

The seven girls, including Tami, went silent, and lowered their heads, and even had tears well up in their eyes.

"She…died…a long time ago…" Korin said.

Each Azu-girl had to hug their own individual orphan child. The orphans began crying.

"So, what are you guys doing now?" Kaorin asked, changing the subject from the sensitive one.

"We've all been adopted by parents that live close to the bottom of Japan…" Yomo said, wiping away her tears. "…and we all go to Daioh High School now."

"…and the orphanage was actually passed on to Gram Gram's granddaughter, who's taking very good care of it now." Tami said.

Suzuki was still crying into Sakaki's shoulder.

"I know something that will cheer you up…" Sakaki said softly, as she stood up, and started taking the young Suzuki upstairs.

"So, how old are you guys now?" Chiyo asked.

"I'm seven!" Chiya responded happily.

"Ha! I'm already 12!" Tami responded, displaying a very noticeable smile that sent chills to the Azu-group.

"Did you know that an alligator can't stick its tongue out?" Kyoto asked.

"Did you know that in a deck of cards, the king of hearts is known as the suicide king?" Osaka asked her.

"Of course, that's common knowledge!" Kyoto responded.

"Does anybody else getting a strange feeling?" Arata asked.

"Must be the Christmas season" Osaka and Kyoto responded simultaneously.

"Anyway, I'm glad things worked out so well for you guys…" Kaorin said.

"Thank you, Kaorin, and thank you so much for caring when no one else did…" Korin said, giving Kaorin another hug.

…

Sakaki had taken Suzuki upstairs, and opened the door, to Nekosa, Koharu, and Koyomiko seriously involved in their match.

Suzuki noticed Nekosa immediately, and blushed furiously. Her eyes got wide, and she started shaking.

"Ha! Beat you!" Koyomiko said, pumping her fist holding the Wii-mote into the air.

"Well, it's tied three way now…" Koharu said.

"Nekosa…" Sakaki said.

Nekosa turned to look at her mother, who was motioning for her to 'come here'.

Nekosa set down her Wii-mote and Nunchuck, and started walking over to her mother.

Suzuki continued to shake, even shaking harder, her blush becoming more and more distinct as Nekosa came closer.

"Yes, Okaasan?" Nekosa asked.

"This is my friend, Suzuki-san." Sakaki said, referring to the little girl now grabbing tight hold of Sakaki's pant's leg, shaking wide-eyed at the cat-girl before her.

"Hi, there!" Nekosa said, displaying a big closed-eyed smile at Suzuki.

Suzuki covered her mouth ('I think I'm gonna throw up it's so cute' thing that Sakaki does)

"Go ahead, pet her." Sakaki urged. "Scratch her behind the ear, she loves that."

Suzuki took her hand off of her mouth, and slowly extended her hand toward Nekosa. She was shaking furiously.

As her hand touched Nekosa's head, she slowly moved it back and forth. Nekosa closed her eyes, enjoying the slight petting by Suzuki.

Suzuki then moved toward Nekosa's ear, and began scratching behind it.

Nekosa began purring, and Suzuki's face turned red.

C-cute, Suzuki thought.

…

As the once-orphans left Chiyo's house, waving goodbye, Kaorin couldn't help but feel content inside.

"To think, you were the only one who cared enough to try and help them that one Christmas four years ago. If it hadn't been for you, who knows what would have happened to them." Kagura said.

"I know…" Kaorin said happily.

…

Author's notes: Chiya, Kyoto, Tami, Yomo, Kogora, Suzuki, Korin, Gram Gram, Tomozawa Shu, Kazu Kobayashi, and Rei Mitzuki all belong to "The Late Anime Rebirth" and his awesome story "Azumanga Christmas Tales". It was an awesome story that even left me crying a bit at the end. If you haven't read it yet, you're missing out completely. Go read and review it.

Also, you need to read it to find out precisely what happened to Tomozawa Shu, Kazu Kobayashi, and Rei Mitzuki. I'll tell you right now, you shouldn't feel the slightest amount of pity towards any of them.

Next Chapter: Insecurities


	78. Insecurities

Insecurities

Note: A new teacher, Fumitsuki Nanakorobi, from Happy Lesson, makes her first appearance in this fic!

Note2: Another Joe/Sakaki focus chapter.

Note3: Rated 'M' for strong sexual references.

Note4: Very Long chapter

…

Timeskip: April 1st

…

Things went well throughout the rest of the season. The snow melted, and spring came into the air once again.

Most things hadn't changed…Shaun had found a job, but continued to remain at Chiyo's house.

Chiyo enjoyed her new boyfriend's company, seeing as how her other friends were most often working or in school. It was also nice that someone else was finally in the house with her.

They had found a replacement at the school for Tomo (last year they had just used a substitute)

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you, the new teacher, Fumitsuki Nanakorobi" Dr. Ihara said to the faculty on the first day of school.

"Hi…" Fumitsuki said, bowing, and blushing a bit in embarrassment as she did. "I'm very glad to meet you all"

"Nanakorobi-san was the class representative in high school, and had the best grades throughout college." Ihara continued.

Man, Yukari would be having a fit if she heard this girl was smart… Nyamo thought.

Because, of course, we all know Yukari was not at the meeting, but elsewere…

"Dammit!!!" Yukari yelled as she biked to school, "Why am I always late on the first day?!"

…

Sakaki and Joe, who had the day off, decided to go and watch the cherry blossoms bloom with Nekosa.

Joe had never seen anything so beautiful in nature before. He hadn't paid any attention to them last year, but this year, as his life slowly started settling down, he had more time to enjoy the simpler things in life.

Sakaki also enjoyed watching them bloom. She especially enjoyed it when she could actually watch one bloom right before her eyes.

"They are beautiful, aren't they?" Joe asked, staring at the blossoms.

"Mmm…" Sakaki responded, still staring in awe.

A moment of silence.

Both parents then realized one voice hadn't piped up. They turned to find Nekosa asleep on the grass. They both chuckled, but still couldn't help but think how cute their daughter was.

"So, when are we going to go on our honeymoon?" Joe asked.

"That…reminds me…" Sakaki said, looking away in a bit of nervousness. "I heard that…on many honeymoons…couples often…"

Sakaki's blushing clued Joe on as to what she was trying to say.

"Yeah, couples often do have 'that' on honeymoons, why?" Joe asked.

"Well, is it a requirement?" Sakaki asked.

"Well, no, it's not a requirement, but because it's so romantic and you're often alone with each other, it happens anyway…" Joe said, smiling a bit.

Sakaki smiled. As long as she had a choice, she didn't mind that much…

Sakaki and Joe turned back to the cherry blossoms.

"So, I'm guessing you haven't turned in a 'request off'?" Joe asked.

"Joe, I own the hospital, remember?" Sakaki said, laughing a bit. "I can take a vacation when I want to."

"Oh, yeah…" Joe said, laughing a bit himself at his own stupidity.

Another moment of silence passed before Sakaki looked at Nekosa lying on the ground, sleeping cutely. She blushed, but a thought passed through her mind.

Nekosa, when she grew up, would be home alone for a good long time. Friends could come over every once and a while, but for the most part, she'd be alone.

Sakaki wanted Nekosa to never be alone…plus, it'd be nice to have that cuteness running around…but…what would Nekosa think? She had to ask…

"Joe, do you think Nekosa would…like a younger brother or sister?" Sakaki asked.

Now, Joe knew that Sakaki couldn't be instigating anything, seeing as how they hadn't had sex since…well, the first time, and that was all the way back in the summer of last year.

Still, he looked Sakaki right in the eyes.

"Tanaka, you know what that would entail, right?" Joe asked, very serious.

Sakaki blushed a bit at this. "Yes, but still, we both love each other very much, and…I think Nekosa would be happier with a younger brother or sister, but…I want to ask her if she wants one."

"Well, just ask her." Joe said.

Sakaki looked at him very seriously. "But what if she asks where babies come from?"

Joe smiled. "As long as you don't get drunk, you'll be fine."

…

Teaching gym outside, Nyamo sneezed.

…

The next day

…

Sakaki was at work, putting in everybody's schedules for next week, when she came upon a request off for herself.

"Huh? I don't remember writing this…" Sakaki said, as she opened up the request off.

It was for one week later, with the reason being typed exactly as you see it below:

"For the greatest honeymoon you'll ever have ;)"

Sakaki smiled, and made sure to give herself that particular week off.

…

When Sakaki came home that day, Nekosa greeted her at the door as usual.

"Hi, Okaasan!!" Nekosa said, hugging her tightly.

"Nekosa, I have a question for you…" Sakaki said, bending down to make eye contact with the child.

"Yes?" Nekosa asked.

"Would you…like a younger brother or sister?" Sakaki asked.

"How do you get one of those?" Nekosa asked.

Sakaki froze up, her face turning beat red. That was exactly the kind of question she didn't want to have asked of herself.

Thank goodness Tomo's not around, Sakaki thought.

"Um…well…uh…" Sakaki started, stumbling to find the words. "W-when a m-mom and a d-dad love each other very m-much, they…um…they…"

"Call the stork!!" Joe yelled from the bedroom.

"The stork?" Nekosa asked.

"Um…why don't you go ask your Otousan w-where a younger brother or sister comes from…" Sakaki said, trying to regain her composure.

"OK!" Nekosa said happily, before running in to ask Joe.

And so Joe did the rundown of the stork to Nekosa.

…

"…and nine months later, a baby comes!" Joe said.

"Oh…so that's how." Nekosa said. "I want a baby sister then!" Nekosa declared, displaying a big happy smile as she said it.

"Well, you can't really decide whether you get a brother or sister…" Joe said.

"Why not?" Nekosa asked.

"The stork picks for you. The parents don't get a choice. It's a government regulation." Joe said.

"Damn government…" Nekosa mumbled.

"Yeah…" Joe said, smiling down at Nekosa.

"OK, then, I want a baby brother or sister!!" Nekosa said, pump-fisting into the air.

"Sounds like a plan, then!!" Joe said, giving her a thumbs-up.

Sakaki stood outside the door, blushing and smiling at the scene before her.

She turned the corner so no one could see her, and her heart began to race in a bit of nervousness.

She knew what getting a child would entail, all right…

Lots and lots of 'action', followed by nine months of having to carry around extra weight, followed by hours of labor…

She could already feel her legs turning to Jell-O.

…

one week later

…

Kagura and Kaorin, returning the favor, promised to watch over Nekosa while Joe and Sakaki went on their honeymoon.

Kagura, Kaorin, and Koharu stopped by the house, and picked up Nekosa far before her parents left.

"Trust me, you guys are going to want to be totally focused on what you're packing." Kaorin said, speaking from experience.

Kaorin and Kagura took Nekosa and Koharu to the park, where the kids immediately went out and played in the open field.

Kagura and Kaorin sat with their backs to a tree, watching the two kids play. Kaorin put her head on Kagura's shoulder.

"I wish we were going on our honeymoon again. That was so enjoyable…" Kaorin said in a dozy tone.

"I know, but those two need a turn, too…" Kagura said.

Koyomiko suddenly came running up to the two kids, and started a game of tag between the three. Yomi came walking up and sat down with Kagura and Kaorin.

"Hey, Yomi" Kagura and Kaorin said simultaneously.

"Hasn't even been a year yet and you two are already saying the same things at the same time…" Yomi said, laughing a bit, which caused Kagura and Kaorin to laugh a little bit too.

"So, where's Tomo-chan, and how are things with you guys?" Kagura asked.

"Well, Tomo's dating a bunch of different guys right now, which I don't get, but whatever…" Yomi responded.

"Something in your voice says you do care…" Kaorin said suggestively.

"And why would I care about what Tomo's doing?" Yomi asked.

"Because you helped her out in her time of need. And you've seen the pain most men can inflict on women. And Tomo also seems to have taken a liking to you after her breakup with Laharl…" Kagura pointed out.

Yomi looked at the two, her glasses glinting in the sunlight.

"This morning she woke me up with a pair of fake boobs on…" Yomi said, the sound of irritation in her voice.

"Why would she be wearing those?" Kaorin asked.

"She said she was going to go 'snake-hunting' or something like that…" Yomi said.

Kaorin looked grossed out.

"So, she's playing Metal Gear Solid 3? With Snake eating a snake?" Kagura asked.

"Maybe…" Yomi said, staring off in thought.

"That's not what she meant…" Kaorin said, sounding disgusted. "She meant the 'thing' with men…"

It took a minute for the other two to get it, but it made Yomi shudder, and Kagura run to the bathroom and throw up.

"What's she getting so sick about?" Yomi asked. "I mean, I know it's gross, but I don't think it's THAT gross…"

"It's a gamer thing. You wouldn't understand." Kaorin said.

…

In the bathroom

…

"Tomo…eating…man snakes…"

Kagura threw up again.

…

Then a loud shout echoed throughout the town.

"GOD DAMN IT, TAKINO!!!"

"Oh, no…that sounded like Joe-san…" Kaorin said, wincing.

…

Tomo came flying out of the door, and skidded on the sidewalk.

But she didn't feel anything. Her mind was still preoccupied with that weird moment she had in the bathroom, when she saw Joe totally naked.

But her thought turned evil.

"Oh, I'm gonna taunt him about that for the rest of his life…" Tomo said evilly.

She started walking toward the park, snickering evilly to herself.

…

Sakaki sat at the table, still blushing. Joe stood there with a towel wrapped around his bottom half, his hair still dripping wet.

Sakaki looked at Joe. She wished to say something, anything. But the words just wouldn't come to her.

"We should get ready to go…" Joe said, the sound of irritation in his voice. He walked into their room, and shut the door.

Sakaki banged her head on the table. She had wanted to say anything, ask him what's wrong, but considering it was Tomo, and that she had walked in on Joe in the bathroom, it could be something perverted.

Why don't I want to ask?! We've already…made love…what keeps holding me back?! Sakaki thought to herself.

She pounded her head on the table again.

…

Joe stood in front of the mirror, and the towel dropped to the floor.

It's…not that small…at least, I don't THINK it is…Joe thought.

…

Later

…

Upon arriving on Honeymoon Island, Sakaki and Joe looked around the cabin, just as Kagura and Kaorin had the time before.

The scent of cleaner still ran through the cabin, as if someone had expected them, and had cleaned it out completely.

After unpacking their things, they stood around for a moment, thinking about what to do next…

"So, what do you want to do?" Joe asked, staring down at the wooden floor.

Sakaki suddenly shook her head. She had suddenly gotten the dirtiest, most perverted thought in the world for a moment, and it surprised even herself.

"Uh…what do you want to do?" Sakaki asked after she stopped.

"Well, I'm…gonna go outside to the spring. Never been to an outdoor one…" Joe said.

Never been in one period, Joe thought.

"Um…I guess I'll just go lie down on the bed…" Sakaki said.

"Well, if you need anything, just call me…" Joe said, as he headed out to the hot spring.

…

Joe was sitting in the hot spring, so that only his head was out of the hot water, and his head was lying back on the outer edge of the spring. He was staring up at the sky.

He knew precisely why he and Sakaki had just had a very awkward moment in there, and he knew Sakaki also knew why.

"She's nervous…" Joe said quietly to himself.

He knew that the thought of having sex made Sakaki nervous, even if she had lost her virginity already. And although she wanted a child, she didn't like the thoughts of the details that usually came before the child was even born.

But Joe was also nervous. With that thing that happened today with Tomo, he was wondering if he was actually pleasuring Sakaki, or maybe that's the reason why they weren't having sex that much.

Joe let out a heavy sigh of aggravation, and lowered his head into the water just enough to blow bubbles.

…

Sakaki lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. She was wondering why it was so hard for her to overcome this obstacle of hers.

And she already knew deep down that she would have to overcome it if she wanted any more kids.

She hadn't really seen Joe naked that one time they made love. Her eyes had been closed most of the time, her actions being driven by him and the passion of the moment. And when she woke up (call it embarrassment), but she quickly got up without looking, and got dressed.

And they hadn't made love since. They even changed clothes at different times of the morning.

Sakaki turned to her side, and looked at her wedding ring. It shined beautifully in the sunlight that came into the room through the one window.

Sakaki sighed, got up, walked into the bathroom, and stared at the mirror.

"What keeps holding you back?" She asked her reflection. "He loves you, and you love him just as much."

And when you're often lost in the deepest of thoughts, it has been a proven fact that you're reflections will often talk back to you. And despite it never happening otherwise, your mind often considers this normal.

"Maybe…" her reflection said. "Maybe…it's not him…"

Sakaki's eyes went wide.

"What?" she asked.

"Maybe it's not him…" her reflection said. "Maybe it's you…"

Sakaki backed up against the wall.

"No…" Sakaki said, tears beginning to run down her face.

"You made love to him once, and that was before you were married. As a newlywed couple, you've never made love once. As a guy, he's ready to go, anytime, anywhere. You, on the other hand…" her reflection said.

"No…No, it can't be true. He loves me for who I am!" Sakaki yelled angrily at her reflection.

"Tanaka, are you ok in there?" Joe yelled from the hot spring. Sakaki's yelling had traveled outside.

Sakaki stopped for a minute, staring at her reflection, which had turned back to normal.

"Y-yeah…" Sakaki said quietly, but quickly realized that Joe wouldn't hear her. "Yes, I'm fine!" she yelled.

…

Joe laid his head back on to the side of the hot spring. He could have swore he had heard Sakaki yelling, but at who?

…

Sakaki stared at herself once again in the mirror, nothing coming forth.

Sakaki took a deep breath, and walked out of the bathroom. She knew what she would have to do to overcome this fear…

…

Sakaki peeked outside to the hot springs. She could easily make out Joe's head, but that was it. The steam, coupled with the fact that the rest of him was underwater, made it so that was all she could see.

She put her back to the door, taking a few deep breaths.

"C'mon, you can do this!" she said quietly to herself. "What would Kaorin say?"

Sakaki made out an imaginary Kaorin standing right in front of her.

"Become a lesbian! Guys are overrated!"

That…didn't help, Sakaki thought.

She took another deep breath, staring down at the ground.

C'mon! If you don't do this now, you'll never be able to do it for the rest of your life! Sakaki thought.

Sakaki stood up straight, and opened the door, making sure to keep hold on her towel that covered up her body.

Joe apparently didn't notice, because he didn't move.

Sakaki took another deep breath, and began walking. She kept her eyes on the ground, her feet continuing to move her forward. She began blushing as she reached the water's edge.

The moment of truth…here it was…

The towel dropped, and Sakaki slowly walked into the hot spring.

Only her head was above water now, and she noticed that Joe still had not moved.

What is he doing? Sakaki wondered.

Joe snored.

Sakaki hung her head. She knew it had been too easy.

She splashed a bit of water in his direction.

He sat almost straight up, and began looking around. He noticed Sakaki in the hot spring, and his face turned beat red.

"Um…I'm sorry, I didn't uh…r-realize I f-fell asleep…" Joe said.

"Um…that's…ok…" Sakaki said, blushing as she looked at the water in front of her.

Joe, without even realizing it, looked into the water by Sakaki, and realized he couldn't see anything, and felt dishearted by it.

GAH!! NO! You pervert!! Bad Joe!!, he mentally scorned himself.

"So, um…" Joe started.

"Joe…did you…see me naked…that night we made love…and…can you see me now?" Sakaki asked.

"Right now, I can see your head, and that's it. As for that night we made love, no, I didn't. It was the most sexually romantic moment in my life, and I was too caught up in you to even look. And I woke up that morning, and you were already up and dressed." Joe said, smiling a bit.

So…he never saw anything either? Sakaki's eyes went wide at this discovery.

"Why, did you?" Joe asked her.

"Uh….n-no," Sakaki stuttered.

"So we haven't even seen each other naked, and we've already been married for a few months, huh?" Joe said, looking up at the sky. "That's new…"

A moment of awkward silence passed between the two.

Say something! Sakaki thought.

Sakaki opened her mouth…

"I'm getting out…" Joe said, as he prepared to stand up.

Sakaki instinctively turned away. Her eyes went wide.

No! This is your chance! Now!

Sakaki turned back to see Joe was already out of the spring, and had his bottom half covered up with a towel.

Sakaki felt totally disheartened at this. She had missed out on her one chance…

"See you inside, Tanaka…" Joe said, as he walked toward the cabin to go in.

Sakaki watched his eyes as he went by. They remained staring straight ahead, so as to not look at her without clothes on.

Sakaki's head hung, she stared at herself in the spring water.

Her evil reflection stared her down.

"Say goodbye to having kids…"

"AAAH, CRAP!" Sakaki stood up in utter aggravation, and whipped her whole body around.

"You s-" Joe turned around, stopped for a second, then quickly covered his eyes. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize you were…"

"Stop blabbering and open your eyes!" Sakaki demanded.

Joe blushed.

"Tanaka, are you feeling ok?" Joe asked. "You're not um…acting like yourse-"

"OPEN YOUR EYES DAMMIT!!!" Sakaki yelled.

Joe was utterly stunned. He had never heard Sakaki use such language…

Joe's hand slowly moved away from his eyes, and he slowly opened them.

His blush became far more distinct as he now saw, standing there in front of him, clear as daylight, a totally naked woman.

"Now…drop the towel." Sakaki said in a much calmer tone.

Words couldn't come to Joe. He just stood there, utterly stunned.

"Joe…" Sakaki said.

This snapped Joe out of it (slightly). He could already see Sakaki's arms shaking, not because she was cold, but because she was trying her hardest to keep her arms at her side, rather than moving them up to cover herself.

Joe sighed heavily, and he made his hand let go of the towel. A blush instantly came across Sakaki's face.

So now the two stared at each other, themselves seeing for the first time the naked body of the opposite sex.

A few moments of total silence went by.

Sakaki slowly moved herself out of the spring.

"T-this is…severely awkward." Joe said, amazed that words could even come to him at this point.

Sakaki arms instantly came up and crossed around her chest. It was just natural for her.

Joe quickly reached down and grabbed the towel on the ground, and covered himself back up. Sakaki quickly did the same.

"Um…why don't we move into the bedroom?" Joe said.

Sakaki slowly nodded.

…

That night was very weird for both of them, to say the least. Like kids who had made a new discovery, they both blushed as they 'felt around', trying out dark perverted things for the first time.

The night ended with the two of them making love once more. (Although this time they were trying for kids if you know what I mean)

After about a half-hour of thinking to herself afterward, Sakaki smiled. She had overcome her fear, and it was nothing to be ashamed of. After all, just because she had seen someone naked didn't make her a pervert. It just made her…normal.

She fell asleep, content in all aspects once again. Mind, body, and spirit.

…

Author's notes: Wow…quite the OOC moment for Sakaki in the hot spring, there…

For those of you wondering what happened between Joe and Tomo, read Chapter 2 of "Azu-Daioh Omake Series". It'll explain everything.

Oh, and for those of you that may be tired of that joke, just hold out with me here. He gets back at Tomo later, and the entire subject is dropped after that. It's just used to show that Sakaki, even after having sex, is still embarrassed about her sexuality, and that Joe feels insecure being told about an imperfection of his own, but deep down, they still love each other.

Finally, I was talking with Funari about this, but I just don't ever see Sakaki hooking up with a girl (even Chiyo), simply because of how weird it would be for her. I always see her going with a guy, but would have to be really sensitive, and he'd have to like cats.

And it's kind of scary, but the next chapter has three more Azu-girls losing their virginity!

Next Chapter: Honeymoon's effect on others


	79. Honeymoon's Effect on Others

Honeymoon's effect on others

…

On the last day of their honeymoon, Sakaki and Joe lie curled up underneath the blankets of the bed, having just made love again.

Something ran through Joe's mind, something that had happened at the beginning of their honeymoon.

"Um…Tanaka, do you think it's…um…small?" Joe asked.

Sakaki pulled back a bit, lifted underneath the covers, and looked.

"Well, I don't really have anything to compare it with, but…" Sakaki said, putting the covers back down, and looking into her husband's eyes. "…as long as you still love me, I really don't care about the size."

This made Joe smile, and the two locked lips again.

…

8:00pm

…

Joe and Sakaki returned themselves to the cab, and the cab drove off. Sakaki leaned over and put her head on Joe's shoulder, and Joe wrapped his arms around Sakaki. The honeymoon had been so amazing…

After a while, the cab pulled to a stop outside their house, but when Joe looked out the cab window, something surprised him.

"Tomo? Osaka? Arata? What are they doing here?"

Joe and Sakaki got out of the cab, pulled their things out of the back, and the cab drove off.

Sakaki leaned over and whispered in Joe's ear. "I'm going to go get some pregnancy tests from the store, then I'm going to pick up Nekosa."

"ok…" Joe said, "I love you, Tanaka."

Sakaki smiled. "I love you too."

The two met with a kiss, and then Sakaki walked off.

"So…" Tomo gave a huge wildcat-grin, which instantly put Joe on the defensive. "How was the honeymoon?"

"Honeymoon?" Osaka asked.

"I thought you said they were abducted by aliens…" Arata said.

"Wait…" Osaka started to look nervous. "Moons attract werewolves, and honey attracts bees…"

"So that means that a honeymoon attracts werewolf bees!" Arata yelled, looking frightened.

"Quick! We gotta run back to your house and prepare!!" Osaka said, and the two ran off.

A moment of silence between Tomo and Joe as they tried to grab at what just happened.

"Did they just say werewolf bees?" Joe asked.

"I think they did…" Tomo said.

They both just kind of shook that off.

"So…" Tomo said, putting her wildcat-grin back on. "How was the honeymoon?"

"It was good." Joe said, as he started carrying both Sakaki's and his stuff into the house.

"And…it was enjoyable?" Tomo asked, still displaying that mischievous wildcat-grin.

"Yes…it was." Joe said, unlocking the door, although he was sounding very defensive.

"For her too?" Tomo asked.

Joe stopped, and looked back at Tomo, who was looking absolutely evil.

"Yes, Tomo, in fact, I even asked her." Joe said angrily, as he walked in the door.

Tomo suddenly burst out laughing.

"You asked her?! Bwahahahahahaha!!" Tomo said, grabbing her sides, she was laughing so hard.

Joe carried all of his stuff into the house, and slammed the door, leaving Tomo outside.

"So, how'd you ask her?" Tomo asked him from behind.

"GAH!" Joe screamed out, flipping around to face Tomo. "How in the hell did you do that?!"

"Do what?" Tomo asked, looking confused.

"Just appear…" he looked at her, then just decided: "You know what, never mind." and he continued to pull the things inside the house.

"So, how'd you ask her?" Tomo repeated, putting that big smile back on her face.

"I just came out and asked her. And she told me that 'size doesn't matter'." Joe said, putting all the stuff into their room, then turning to face Tomo, crossing his arms.

"And how would she know?" Tomo asked.

"Takino, you're treading on very thin ice here…" Joe said angrily.

Tomo could tell when Joe was getting angry with her, because he would always use her last name when talking to her.

"Ah, well, it doesn't matter. It's small, and I know it!" Tomo said, displaying that evil Wildcat-smile again.

Joe uncurled his arms and walked past Tomo, his fists clenched.

"Tiny Tim…" Tomo said, obviously trying to irritate Joe. "Little Richard…small sausage…"

"OK, seriously, Takino, you have no idea what it's like!!" Joe said, whipping around and pointing angrily at Tomo.

"Oh, of course I do!" Tomo said, now knowing that she had gotten to Joe. "She probably said something along the lines of 'It's not the size of the boat, it's the motion of the ocean' or something like that. Well, I say that 'it takes a long time to get to America in a rowboat'!"

"No! That's not what she said!!" Joe yelled. He was about 2 seconds away from choking Tomo. "It's all about the love and passion that you have, that's all that matters!!! How would you know anyway?! How many times have you had sex?!"

Tomo suddenly froze, still wearing that big Wildcat smile of hers.

"Tomo?" Joe asked.

"Huh?" Tomo said, suddenly breaking out of it.

"I asked how many times you had sex?" Joe said again.

"Uh…um…well, I've….uh…." Tomo stuttered, rubbing the back of her head with one hand.

"Don't tell me…" Joe said, a smile now beginning to form on his face.

"Uh…um…uh….!" Tomo started to panic. He was about to say it.

"You still have you're virginity!!" Joe said, pointing one accusing finger at her. He was now smiling big.

"Uh…ah…I mean…." Tomo was still stuttering, and now her panic was now becoming more evident.

Joe suddenly stood straight up, and looked at her evilly, which sent a chill up her spine.

"Don't tell me that Tiny Tim has gotten more action than the board has?"

Bull's-eye. Joe had hit Tomo's weak point.

"Yeah, well, I'll show you!!" Tomo yelled. She ran out the door.

"hehe…highly doubt it…" Joe said to himself, smiling evilly.

…

Tomo ran home, and pulled out a little black book from her dresser drawer. It had the list of all of her date's and what day they were on.

Tomo whipped it open.

"CRAAAAAAP!! There's nothing for today!!"

Not a single date scheduled in Tomo's book.

"Well, there's always Plan B…"

Tomo flipped to the back, where she kept the names and phone numbers of all the guys she ever dated, or had scheduled to date.

And once again, she was met with despair.

Not only was every last guy unavailable, a vast majority of them were already in bed with some other girl (which made Tomo feel that much worse)

She called up the last guy on the list.

"Are you available?" she asked in a desperate tone.

"No, no offense, but you were playing way too hard to get." The guy said (what a jerk)

"Yeah, well, you suck!!!" Tomo yelled angrily.

"You would, too!" The guy said.

"Oh god, that's gross!!!" and Tomo hung up, and had to go wash the mental images out of her head.

…

Meanwhile, and the Kasuga-Hibiki residence

…

Osaka and Arata had just finished mixing the ingredients to a special elixir, and were now dumping it on the ground all around their house.

"Done?" Osaka asked.

"Done!" Arata said.

The two ran back inside the house, then upstairs into their room. They both sat down on the bed, and Arata picked up the book that they had referenced to make an 'anti-werewolf bees elixir', a book that they had easily picked up off the internet.

Osaka ran off the list of items that they had put into their cauldron (which still sat in there room), making sure they got everything.

"Bat wings, check; private parts of many various animals, check; a drop of estrogen, check; a drop of testosterone, check…" Osaka said.

"Well, we followed the book exactly, so nothing should go wrong…" Arata said

Then Arata noticed a disclaimer at the bottom of the page, and started to read it.

"Disclaimer: Guaranteed 100 effective"

"Well, that's good to know…" Osaka said.

"Also guaranteed to prevent pregnancy…" Arata read.

"Pregnancy? Now why would it have something like that?" Osaka asked, turning toward Arata.

She looked in the book with Arata. They both looked up at the top of the page and noticed that they were no longer on the "anti-werewolf bee elixir" page.

They were now on "Love Potion Number 9"

Both of them blinked a few times as they read it again. Then they both looked out the window in the room.

A pink colored shield was already coming up around the house.

"Uh….oh…" Arata said.

Osaka ran out of the room in a slight panic.

She ran down the stairs, but already she could feel herself slowing to a stop.

Though there was no thermometer in the house, the temperature of the house read somewhere close to 90 degrees.

Osaka fell to her hands and knees.

"So….hot…" Osaka moaned, breathing heavily.

Arata had to take off his shirt, it was so hot. He saw himself in the mirror, and was amazed. He had never worked out a day in his life, but he now had muscle. He wasn't super muscular, by any means, but he looked fit.

He had to check on Osaka, so he got up off the bed.

…

Osaka was still on her hands and knees, breathing hard. It was so hot…

"Kasuga-san…" Arata called out. It almost sounded like his voice echoed out.

Osaka looked behind her to see him running down the stairs. He actually looked pretty handsome…

Osaka had never really thought about it until now… Fighting the aliens and clones was a full time job for her, along with teaching…

But she had met Arata a while back…and he actually even helped her with this sort of thing…and although her mind had wondered to it once, it had immediately been replaced by some other thought…

But now it was her only thought…her and Arata…together…

Arata stopped a few feet from Osaka, and Osaka stood up and turned herself around. The two stared each other down.

They both had the same thought…how the other looked so hot…

The two met up with a kiss, then fell to the floor….

…

A bluish goo fell on skin.

"C-cold…" Osaka said, shivering a bit.

Arata was applying some sort of lotion to Osaka's back in the bathroom.

"I wish that potion would've protected against rug burn…" Osaka said, as Arata rubbed the lotion on Osaka's back.

"Yeah, lucky you had some of this stuff." Arata said, making sure to get the lotion on all the burn.

"And I've had that stuff on burns before. It'll itch for about an hour…" Osaka said.

"Well, if it will make you feel any better…" Arata started.

Osaka turned her head so she could see Arata out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm glad my first time was with you, Kasuga-san." Arata said, smiling at her.

Osaka smiled back.

"You can call me Ayumu if you want to…" Osaka said.

"Ok then, Ayumu." Arata said, smiling bigger.

Osaka turned her head and stared at the floor, smiling and feeling content inside.

…

9:00 at night (Takino-Mizuhara residence)

…

Yomi came home with Koyomiko. They had both gone out shopping, since Tomo had gone over to Joe's house.

Yomi and Koyomiko came in to find Tomo lying down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

"Hey, Tomo, what's up?" Yomi asked.

"Nothing…." Tomo responded, sounding troubled.

"It doesn't sound like a bunch of nothing…" Yomi said, walking in and closing the door.

Koyomiko ran right up to Tomo.

"Mama, what's wrong?" Koyomiko asked.

"Nothing's wrong, Koyomiko…" Tomo said, turning and forcing a smile at her child before looking back up at the ceiling.

"Both me and Kaa-san can tell that something's wrong…" Koyomiko said.

Tomo looked at the ceiling, her mind already running excuses through her head.

"I uh… I missed my favorite show today…" Tomo lied.

"Awww…Mortal Kombat Uncensored?" Koyomiko asked.

"Yeah, that's the one…" Tomo lied again.

Koyomiko gave Tomo a hug.

"That's ok, Mama, it'll be on tomorrow" Koyomiko said.

"Thanks, Koyomiko…" Tomo said, half-hugging Koyomiko back.

Yomi took Koyomiko and put her down to bed, then set herself up so she was looking at Tomo from the back of the couch.

"Mortal Kombat Uncensored isn't on today. So, what's the real problem?" Yomi asked.

"Well, I talked with Joe today when he came back from his honeymoon…" Tomo said. "… and I insulted his 'stature'."

"Well, what did he do then?" Yomi asked.

"He figured out that I hadn't lost my virginity yet…" Tomo said.

"What's so bad about that? I haven't lost mine yet either!" Yomi said, trying to cheer Tomo up.

Tomo turned her head and looked Yomi right in the eyes.

"He called me a board."

"Ouch…" Yomi responded. She knew how much being called a board hurt Tomo.

Tomo looked back up at the ceiling.

"Plus…you know…I'm kind of interested to learn what it's like to have sex, but…" Tomo said, then she began to look like she was thinking. "Every last guy I called tonight was either unavailable, or already banging somebody else."

"That was a little bit too much information, Tomo…" Yomi said, looking a little grossed out.

Tomo sighed. "I'm just wondering if I'm ever going to find the right one for me…"

Yomi smiled, walked around the couch, kneeled down, and turned Tomo's face to kiss her.

…

Back in the US

…

"What the heck was that?" Funari asked as she felt something, as she quickly ran to her couch, closed her eyes, and began meditating.

It was almost like an out-of-body experience. She could feel her spiritual self flying over to Japan while her physical self stayed where it was.

Then she saw it. It was blurry at first, but then she could see it clearly. Tomo and Yomi kissing each other passionately.

Funari squealed.

…

"Don't worry about it. You just need to find the right person for you." Yomi said.

A moment of silence between the two as they stared into each other's eyes.

"I'm going to go do laundry, then I'm going to bed…" Yomi said, as she stood up and walked upstairs to their bedroom.

Tomo laid there for a moment, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about what Yomi had said.

Then she got an image in her head. A memory…

("You're a flat board who's never going to get a lover, EVER!!" Laharl screamed.)

"Gah!!" Tomo said in surprise, putting her hands over her ears, as if that would make it stop.

But it seemed that it only made it worse…

She saw images of Tommy, and that picture of his sister in his pocket. She saw images of every last guy banging some other girl, and they were making every last one of the sex noises, making things that much worse for the suffering Tomo.

"Get out of my head!!" Tomo yelled, turning herself around on the couch, and burying her face in a pillow.

…

"What is it now?" Funari asked in a concerned tone. She began to concentrate harder.

She sees what Tomo is going through, she sees Tomo's images projected, as if they were her own. She is not controlling Tomo or her thoughts in any way; she is simply a spectator, only seeing what Tomo does.

…

Tomo then sees Yomi talking to her, just a few minutes before…

("Don't worry about it. You just need to find the right person for you." Yomi said.)

Tomo got the thought that maybe…

"No! No!! I told myself I wouldn't become a lesbian with Yomi!! No!!!" Tomo yelled, pulling a pillow over her head so Yomi wouldn't hear her.

The sounds of all those jerk guys began getting louder. But now they were chanting something…

"We want you…We want you…"

"No!! Leave me alone!! You're all jerks!!!!" Tomo yelled, covering her head with a pillow.

She could hear Laharl's laughing. That annoying, irritating laughing…

…

And Funari could see all of this clearly, as if they were her own images.

"She's in heavy denial, that is certain...but, all of this holding back...will cause her harm. I hope she finally listens to her heart soon. Only time will tell..."

…

The images started going faster and faster… the sounds were now starting to mix together.

"Gah!!! I just want these images to stop!!!" Tomo screamed.

Then as soon as it had started, the images stopped, and were now replaced with two scenes, one after the other…

("Don't tell me that Tiny Tim is getting more action than the board is?" Joe asked.)

Then the second one… Tomo had no idea where she got it from, but all she heard was a proverb being recited, with a picture of her and Yomi together…

"Cleverness and stupidity go together"

Then it all stopped. Tomo slowly sat up, thinking about everything that had just run through her head.

Maybe…Tomo thought.

Maybe…

…

Yomi was upstairs, folding her pants. She folded the last pair, and put it into her dresser.

"Finally done…" Yomi said.

She turned around, and the empty laundry basket dropped to the floor.

Tomo was standing there, totally naked.

Yomi immediately backed up against the wall, her face a beat red.

"T-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-Tomo!!" Yomi said in utter shock.

"Listen, Yomi, I've been thinking…" Tomo started.

"T-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-Tomo!!" Yomi said, still in utter shock.

Tomo sighed, then perked right back up.

"I guess my rockin' hot body has left you speechless!" Tomo said, in her usual Tomo style.

This seemed to alert Yomi that Tomo hadn't totally lost her mind, and snapped her out of her shock (somewhat)

"T-Tomo, w-what's going on?" Yomi asked.

"Yomi, I guess I've been thinking, and… I guess dating all those guys has told me that you're really the only one for me…" Tomo said, sounding so very un-Tomo-like.

"Tomo, I know you may just be going through a rough time right now, but I think you're taking this a bit too far…" Yomi said, unable to take her eyes off of Tomo's naked body. Her face was still a beat red.

"Am I?" Tomo asked, as she started walking towards Yomi.

"T-t-t-t-Tomo, I'm really n-n-not ready for this!" Yomi said.

This made Tomo stop dead in her tracks. And Yomi saw it again. Those deep, hurt eyes. Those eyes that had been showing themselves only in Tomo's adulthood, when she had been through so much pain and hurt with dating.

"Yomi…I… just think you're the right one to do this with…seeing as how I've already tried dating guys…and all of them were total jerks."

…

Three-fourths of the men in Tokyo sneezed all at once.

…

"I just think that maybe Kagura and Kaorin are on to something, that maybe guys aren't all what they're cut out to be…" Tomo said, looking down at the floor.

"What about Sakaki-san? And Chiyo-chan? And Osaka-san? They've all got guys who love them and are nice to them…" Yomi said.

"Well, they just got lucky…I think those three were possibly the last nice guys left in this world…" Tomo said.

Yomi was silent for a moment.

"I mean…I've totally stopped being mean to you, Yomi…and…and what about Koyomiko?" Tomo started, looking Yomi right in the eyes. "How do you think she'd react if I suddenly came home with a boyfriend? Or even a husband, for that matter?"

Yomi really thought about that one. She could already see Koyomiko becoming emotionally scarred, even if the guy was the nicest guy in the world. It would still be pretty traumatic for the now-5-year-old to suddenly go from two mothers to two mothers and a father.

Yomi could already feel herself falling into this little 'trap' set by Tomo.

Tomo moved herself up to Yomi, and wrapped her arms around Yomi's neck. The two locked eyes.

"Yomi…I'm just trying to…protect you…" Tomo said.

"Protect me?" Yomi asked, a little confused.

"Protect you from possibly making a mistake later in life by dating the wrong guy…and possibly setting Koyomiko up for something that may end up scarring her for life…" Tomo said.

Tomo locked lips with Yomi, and shared in another long, romantic kiss.

Tomo pulled back, and looked into Yomi's eyes.

"But…" Yomi could already feel herself bending in. She was getting turned on by this!! "…what about Koyomiko? What if she wakes up?"

Tomo walked over to the door, then proceeded to shut and locked it.

Well, I'm out of excuses…better make the best of it, Yomi thought.

Tomo turned around to face Yomi once more.

"Ok, Tomo, you wanna do this, then you gotta seduce me," Yomi said, a weird grin on her face.

"Huh?" Tomo asked.

"You gotta do what most guys would do for this, and you gotta seduce me." Yomi said, standing there with her hands on her hips.

Tomo looked at her with this wild look in her own eyes. So Yomi was now ready for this.

…

Funari stopped meditating, a huge blush on her face.

"At least the problem has been solved", Funari said, smiling, despite furiously blushing.

…

Tomo walked right up to Yomi and began kissing her. Tomo removed Yomi's glasses and placed them on the dresser next to them. The two then moved to Yomi's bed, and fell down on top of it.

Tomo then proceeded to remove Yomi's shirt, then began kissing once more.

Tomo's hands moved to Yomi's back, and…

Tomo tried, but for some reason, couldn't remove Yomi's bra…

"Tomo…" Yomi said, sounding a little agitated.

"I can't seem to get it undone…I think it's stuck…" Tomo said, continuing to try.

"The clasp is in the front…" Yomi said.

Moment of silence.

"I knew that…" Tomo said.

"Sure…" Yomi said, sounding slightly irritated, though there was a big smile on her face.

Typical Tomo, she thought.

Once Tomo got past that obstacle, the two continued their activities right up to the point of both of them squealing.

And thus, two more virginities were lost.

…

The next day, Tomo ran right over to Joe's house to rub it in his face.

"So, Nekosa, the stork hasn't been returning our calls…" Joe said. (meaning even with all that action on their honeymoon, Sakaki still wasn't pregnant)

"Awwww…." Nekosa said, pouting.

"But that's OK! Your mother and I won't give up! You will get a little brother or sister!" Joe said, pumping his fist toward Nekosa.

"yeah!!" Nekosa said, meeting Joe's knuckle with her own.

At that point, Tomo burst in the door. Sakaki and Nekosa looked utterly surprised. Joe looked back down at his plate.

"Ha!! I did it!!" Tomo said.

Sakaki and Nekosa looked utterly lost. Joe didn't even bother looking up from his plate.

"So, did you happen to get his name?" Joe asked.

"Huh?" Tomo asked, confused.

Joe looked up. "The guy you did. Did you happen to get his name?"

"Silly, I did it with Yomi!" Tomo said without restraint.

Joe blinked for a few times, then realized how Tomo was still smiling big.

Sakaki's face turned beat red.

"You…really…did…" Joe said, his face turning green. "I think I'm gonna be sick…"

Joe ran to the bathroom.

"Aw, you're just jealous!!" Tomo yelled.

"Okaasan, what is she talking about? What did she do with Mizuhara-san?" Nekosa asked.

Sakaki's face turned a darker shade of red.

…

Author's notes: Despite Sakaki getting past her fears about the naked body, the talk about having sex still bothers her, as seen at the end XD

Anyway, two references made here, the proverb that Tomo thought up makes reference to a picuture, "Proverbs are good", on DA featuring Tomo and Yomi (very fitting, I thought), made by Funari

The second is also a picture on DA, also made by Funari, and it involves poor Tomo having problems with Yomi's bra strap (called Tomo is Dumb)

And as a final note, I think once Tomo started having problems with boyfriends, I was headed in this direction no matter what. The introduction of the Azu-kids just kind of sealed it.

So, sorry for those who really don't like that particular paring, but I think I kind of set that up myself by pure accident.

I have now joined the multiple amounts of writers out there who do Tomo/Yomi.

Next Chapter: Problems with kids


	80. Problems with kids

Problems with Kids

…

Well, Tomo began walking back to Yomi's house, feeling happy and content.

However, the day was about to take a turn for the worse…

…

It all started in the Aida-Kagura household, where they were all eating breakfast.

Koharu set her chopsticks down, and continued to stare at her plate.

"Natsuko-mama, Kaori-kaa-san, I know that you're lying…" Koharu started.

"Huh?" Both Kagura and Kaorin said, completely confused as to what Koharu was referring to.

"I asked Osaka-sempai about honeymoons, and she said they attract werewolf bees…" Koharu said.

"Oh…" Both parents said.

They let out a sigh of relief.

"Koharu, honey, you can't believe everything Osaka-san says…" Kagura said, smiling at her child.

"And why not?!" Koharu said, looking angrily at her parents.

"Because…she…well, she…" Kaorin wanted to say something about Osaka without sounding harsh or mean. Osaka was her friend, and she liked her, it was just her thought process was a little 'out there'.

"She what?! She understands things better than you do?!" Koharu asked angrily.

"Hey, now!! That's crossing the line, young lady!" Kaorin scorned.

Koharu stood up, and began walking out of the room.

"Come back here and eat your food, young lady!" Kagura screamed out.

Koharu whipped around.

"You lied to me!! And you're insulting Osaka-sempai!!" Koharu screamed.

Kagura stood up in anger. "We are not insulting Osaka-san! We are simply saying that you shouldn't believe everything you hear!!!"

"YOU lied!! Maybe what YOU say isn't true!! Like loving me!!" Koharu said, storming out.

"Hey, we'll always love you, Koharu!!!" Kaorin screamed out.

But it was too late. Koharu stormed to her room, and locked the door.

"God, that child…!" Kagura said, sitting back down, and now eating with a temper.

Kaorin looked at Koharu's door.

I hope this blows over…Kaorin thought.

…

Tomo walked into her house, and smiled when she saw Yomi and Koyomiko sitting there, with breakfast on the table.

"Hi, Tomo, you're just in time…" Yomi said.

"Thanks, Yomi…" Tomo said, in a very un-Tomo tone, which only Koyomiko noticed.

Tomo sat down.

"Itadakimasu!!" The three said, and began eating.

About 5 minutes into the meal, Koyomiko noticed something else.

It was quiet. Totally quiet.

This NEVER happened. For every breakfast that Koyomiko had with her parents, Tomo was always talking, and Yomi was always asking Tomo to shut up.

Instead, the two would take a bite of their food, then look at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

"Mama, Kaa-san, is something wrong?" Koyomiko asked.

Both of the mothers turned their attention toward Koyomiko.

"Huh?"

"You two are acting differently…" Koyomiko said.

"We are?" Tomo asked, completely unaware that she was acting differently.

Koyomiko nodded. "Mama's being quiet! And Kaa-san, when you made breakfast this morning, you were humming! You never do that!"

Yomi stared at her child, a confused look on her face. "Is there something wrong with humming when I make breakfast?"

"N-no…it's just…um…" Koyomiko started to stutter a bit. She knew in her heart that something was wrong, but her mother's didn't believe her.

"Koyomiko, I don't think we're acting differently, I think it's just in your mind..." Tomo said, as she took another bite of pancake.

Yomi looked over at Tomo, concerned. Tomo had said that without thinking, and she knew that could…

"It's not in my head!!" Koyomiko screamed. Now she looked angry. "I know something is wrong with you two!!! You just don't believe me!!!"

"Koyomiko, we'll always believe you…" Yomi said.

"Liar!! You're not right now!!!" Koyomiko ran out of the room, tears flying down her face. She slammed her bedroom door closed, and locked the door.

…

Koyomiko ran to her bed, and began crying into the pillow.

A knock came on her bedroom window. Koyomiko stopped crying, and looked up to see Koharu outside her window.

…

"Tomo, I don't think that you should have said 'it's just in your mind'" Yomi said, looking at Tomo.

Tomo swallowed her food.

"What do you mean? I think it IS just in her head." Tomo said, turning her head toward Yomi.

"Tomo, she's right. I did hum this morning, but I didn't think about it. And you, you were totally quiet until a few minutes ago. That never happens."

Tomo thought about this point for a minute.

"Ok, I'll go talk to her…" Tomo got up, and walked over to Koyomiko's door.

Tomo pulled on it to find it locked.

"Hm…kid locked it. Well…" Tomo bent down, and having improved her lock-picking skills, undid the lock with only her fingernail.

Tomo slid the door open, and gasped.

"Yomi!!!" Tomo screamed.

Yomi quickly got up, looked into Koyomiko's room, and gasped.

…

Meanwhile, at the Sakaki residence, immediately following breakfast, Nekosa suddenly fell asleep on the couch.

Sakaki moved Nekosa to her room, and slowly closed the door. Joe came up behind her.

"She sleeping?" Joe asked.

Sakaki nodded. "Her dreams about that big mean dog have been keeping her awake at night…"

"That and I think her cat side keeps her awake at night…" Joe said.

He began rubbing Sakaki's shoulders, causing Sakaki to smile and blush at the same time.

"I think we have some alone time…" Joe said.

Sakaki couldn't help but think to herself what a pervert she had become…all for the chance at another cute child…a brother or sister for Nekosa to have fun with…

"Our room…" Sakaki said.

Joe grabbed Sakaki by the wrist, and almost literally dragged her to their bedroom.

…

Back in Nekosa's room, she snapped awake. That awful dream about the dog chasing her had happened again.

Nekosa got up and began walking to her parent's room. She heard some strange noises coming from the room.

She tried to open the door, only to find it locked.

Why would they want to keep me out? Nekosa thought.

Rather than knocking, Nekosa pulled out one cat-claw, and began picking the lock.

…

"I love you, Tanaka…" Joe said, looking deep into her eyes.

"I love you too, Joe…" Sakaki said, staring back.

The two met with another passionate kiss, then they heard a small squeal.

The both of them looked up. Sakaki's face turned red, and Joe began blushing furiously.

The both of them were totally naked, making love, and Nekosa had picked open the door, and had gotten full eyesight.

"Nekosa!!" Joe said, startled.

Nekosa ran out of the room, back into her room, and she shut and locked the door.

…

"That…was bad…" Joe said, getting off of Sakaki, and sitting down on the bed.

Sakaki moved herself to quickly get dressed.

Joe got the hint, and moved himself to get dressed as well.

…

Sakaki and Joe walked up to Nekosa's door, and knocked on it. No response.

"Nekosa…it's your mother…" Sakaki said in a very cooing voice. "Could you please open up? I just want to explain…"

Joe stood leaning up against the wall, rubbing the area above his eyebrows with his pointer finger and thumb.

"I can't believe she saw that…we even locked the door, too…" he said, looking down at the ground.

Sakaki knocked on the door again. "Nekosa…"

"She's probably not going to come out of there for a while. Just let her be…" Joe said, turning and walking away.

Sakaki looked at him for a moment, then back at the door.

The phone rang, and Joe went and answered it.

"Hello?" Joe answered.

"Joe-san, is Koyomiko there?!" Yomi asked. She sounded panicked.

"Um…no…" Joe said. A noise indicated that another call was coming in.

"Hold on, Yomi, I've got another call…" Joe put Yomi on hold, and answered the other call.

"Joe-san, is Koharu there?!" Kaorin asked. She had that same panicked tone that Yomi had.

"No…um…hold on…" Joe then put the phone into conference, so Yomi, Kaorin, and he could all talk to each other.

"Ok, Yomi, Kaorin, you two are on conference. Now, you say that Koyomiko and Koharu have gone missing?" Joe asked.

"yes!" They both said.

Joe's eyes suddenly went wide as he thought of something…

He covered the receiver.

"Tanaka, break her door down!!!" Joe yelled.

"What?!" Sakaki asked in a shocked tone.

"Agh!" Joe ran up the stairs, pulled out a lock-picker out of his back pocket, and picked the lock.

The door slid open. Sakaki gasped as she saw an empty room, and an opened window.

"Oh no….Yomi, Kaorin, you guys had better come here…Nekosa ran away too…" Joe said, fighting through the utter shock he was in.

"NEKOSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Sakaki screamed out.

…

Koharu, Koyomiko, and Nekosa were all running down the road. They would stop to check both ways before crossing the street, but they would continue to run.

"Hurry!! Your mom's a fast runner!!!" Koharu said.

Nekosa and Koyomiko were already running as fast as they could.

…

Sakaki ran out the door, and began running down the street in the direction that Joe had said.

"They'll be running away from Nekosa's window!!" Joe said.

Sakaki was running as fast as she could. She did NOT want a repeat of Texas.

Sakaki kept looking down alleyways, in the small fence areas, anywhere she could for a sign of Nekosa.

She spotted a black cat tail go down an alleyway.

Sakaki began running faster, her natural athletic ability finally coming to use for something she wanted it to.

…

"Hurry!!" Koharu screamed.

…

Sakaki turned into the alleyway, and she saw that the cat tail belonged to a black cat.

Sakaki, breathing heavily, looked around her.

"NEKOSA!!!" Sakaki screamed out.

…

Koharu, Koyomiko, and Nekosa stopped running to catch their breath.

They were in a central part of Tokyo. It was busy, so they knew that if their parents found them, they could duck into the crowd.

Koharu led Koyomiko and Nekosa to an alleyway, where they sat down to catch their breath.

"(_gasp_) running away was (_gasp_) a good idea…" Koyomiko said.

"Yeah (_gasp_) this will teach those (_gasp_) parents…" Koharu said.

Nekosa was gasping for air, but remained speechless.

"Well, let's keep going! We don't want our parents to catch up to us!" Koharu said, standing up after gaining her second wind.

"Yeah!" Koyomiko said, standing up as well.

Nekosa stood up, and continued to remain speechless.

"Nekosa-chan, you ok?" Koharu asked.

Nekosa continued to look at the ground, a very saddened look on her face.

"Nekosa-chan?" Koyomiko asked, putting one hand on Nekosa's shoulder.

Nekosa looked up, nodded, then looked back down at the ground.

The two girls stood there, looking at Nekosa.

Nekosa still had that moment running through her head. The moment that she had burst in on her parents…

Her mind was a total mess. Nekosa couldn't think clearly at all.

What were they doing? She kept asking.

"Well, let's, uh…get going, then…" Koharu said.

Koharu and Koyomiko were first walking backwards to make sure that Nekosa was following them, then they turned around to continue to walk.

Nekosa still continued to stare at the ground.

…

"And that's all we need…" The police officer said. "…we'll start looking right away."

Kaorin, Kagura, Yomi, Tomo, Joe, and Sakaki were all gathered at Sakaki's house.

Kaorin stood up.

"Tell us, what are the chances of finding our daughters?"

The officer sighed. The typical question…

"Well, considering that you called us right away, chances are good that we'll find them alive. Finding them at all is a different story…"

Kaorin's heart sank. She sat back down on the loveseat.

Sakaki and Joe were sitting on the couch. Sakaki was crying hard into Joe's shoulder, as he rubbed her back.

"Listen, if you want to try to find them, I would suggest going out and looking for them before it gets dark." The officer said, as he turned and began walking out of the house. "Three kids out on the streets of Tokyo after dark isn't good."

Sakaki almost instantly stopped crying at this information.

The officer left the house, and Sakaki perked up, and wiped away her tears.

"Let's go find our kids!" Sakaki said determined.

"But were would we start looking?" Tomo asked, staring at the ground, somehow feeling guilty for Koyomiko running away.

Sakaki turned her head to her husband. "Joe…we need you…"

Joe closed his eyes, and sat there for a few minutes, deep in thought.

He opened his eyes.

"Ok, in order to cover the most ground, we're going to need to split up. Everybody got a cell phone?" Joe asked.

All of them nodded, and pulled out their cell phones.

"Good. Now, I must mention this beforehand, if you happen to find the kids, do NOT try to approach them. Call the other parents first. Three of us need to get hold of them. If just one tries to get them, there's a good chance that the other or others will run away."

The girls nodded.

"OK, here's the plan…" Joe said, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen.

…

But it would not be so… Joe's plan failed miserably. Even covering the most amount of ground possible, even calling up Chiyo, Shaun, Osaka, Arata, Nyamo, Saotome, and even Yukari didn't help.

Defeated, the other's returned home, while Kaorin, Kagura, Yomi, Tomo, Joe and Sakaki all went over to Sakaki's house, to possibly wait for a call from the police station as to the location of their missing kids.

They sat there, staring at the phone, and at the clock, which read 10:00pm.

…

Meanwhile, it still seemed light in the streets of Tokyo, much in thanks to a full moon. Most of the other people had gone home, but Koharu, Nekosa, and Koyomiko sat in an alleyway. The alleyway had only one entrance, but it also had a dark corner where the moonlight didn't reach.

All three stomachs growled.

"Let's see if we can find something to eat…" Koharu said.

Koharu looked out of the alleyway to make sure nobody was there, then the three kids walked down the sidewalk, Nekosa continuing to look down at the ground.

Most of the restaurants in the area were closing up for the night. One particular restaurant opened up, but two big looking guys stood right outside it.

"Hey, there's a place!" Koharu said, pointing to the place with two large bouncers outside of it.

But they needed to cross the street.

Koyomiko and Koharu looked both ways, then crossed the street.

Nekosa remained staring down at the sidewalk, unaware of her surroundings.

Koyomiko and Koharu reached the other side, then realized that Nekosa wasn't with them.

"Nekosa!!" Koharu called out.

This snapped Nekosa out of it a bit, as she ran across the street.

But because she didn't look both ways, a car came up.

"Nekosa, look out!!" Koharu called out.

Nekosa looked to see two bright headlights headed right at her.

The car slammed on its breaks, and stopped two inches from Nekosa.

Nekosa's legs turned to Jell-o, as she fell to the ground.

"Get outta the way, kid!!!" the driver yelled out the window.

Nekosa panicked, and ran the rest of the way across the street, then hid behind Koyomiko.

The car took off, as the driver laid on the gas.

"Jerk…" Koharu mumbled. She turned to her friend. "Nekosa, are you ok?"

Nekosa had tears running down her face. She had the look of pure terror on her face, and her breathing was hard.

"Nekosa!!" Koharu said, snapping her fingers in front of her friends face.

No response.

Koharu sighed. "Ok, we're just gonna leave you here, and..."

"Don't leave me!!!" Nekosa yelled suddenly.

"I was just gonna say get some food, then come back out…" Koharu said.

"Don't leave me…please…" Nekosa whispered, looking down at the ground. She still had tears running down her face.

Koharu sighed again. "Ok, let's go…"

The three (Nekosa still hiding behind Koyomiko) walked up to the two huge guys dressed in suits, who looked down at them.

"Can we get in? We're hungry…" Koharu said.

One guy looked around, expecting a camera crew, or a police officer to be somewhere. He looked back down at little Koharu.

"I'm sorry, but only adults are allowed in here…" the guard said, going back to his stance.

"But we're hungry!!" Koharu whined.

"Well then go ask your parents for something. We can't let you or your friends in here." The man said, staring straight forward.

Koharu began getting angry.

"Let us in here NOW!" she demanded.

The big man looked down at her, almost looming over her. "Or what?"

"Or this!" Koharu wheeled back, and hit the man straight in the crotch.

But she hit something hard there…something that seemed to protect that particular soft spot…almost like a cup…

The man, unimpressed, lifted up Koharu by the scruff of her neck.

Koharu started flailing. "When I get hold of you, I'll…"

The man suddenly grabbed Koharu's right arm, and slowly started breaking it with his thumb.

"OW OW OW OW!!!" Koharu screamed, closing her eyes in pain.

"Now promise to leave, or I'll bend it further…" the man said heartlessly.

Koharu opened her eyes a crack to look at the man, who stared heartlessly back.

He pushed just a bit harder.

"OWW!! OK, OK, UNCLE!!"

Koharu was dropped, and she landed hard on the ground. She was gritting her teeth in pure anger against this guy, but tears were running down her face in pain.

Nekosa's eyes went wide, and her breathing became harder.

"Koharu-chan, let's just go…" Koyomiko said.

Koharu slowly stood up, nursing her injured arm.

"JERK!!" she screamed, as she walked away with her friends.

…

The kids, tired and hungry, lay down back in their alleyway, Koyomiko sitting against a wall in the middle, and Koharu and Nekosa using her as a pillow. Despite it being spring, a small wind sent a chill through all of them.

"I'm cold…" Koyomiko whined.

"I'm hungry…" Koharu whined, as her stomach let off another growl. Her arm still hurt.

Nekosa was quiet. That car had scared her out of her mind, and then that bouncer that showed no mercy toward Koharu made it even worse.

All three of them heard a small evil laugh coming from a turnoff in their alleyway.

It was too dark to see, except for Nekosa…

"Well boss, look what we got here…" the man said. "A couple of kids lost in our alleyway…"

"Hm…that's good…because anything that comes into our alleyway is ours…" the leader said.

"We're not yours!!" Koharu said, standing up. She winced. She had tried to make a fist with her right hand, and it had sent a screaming amount of pain up her entire arm.

5 men now came walking out of the dark part of the alleyway to the three lost kids.

Nekosa huddled closer to Koyomiko, shaking in fear. Koyomiko wrapped one arm around Nekosa, herself also shaking in fear.

Although Koharu would have never told anyone, she was also shaking. She could have easily taken these five guys on, if her arm didn't hurt so badly.

Four of the five men took out knives from their pockets. Koharu backed herself against the wall…

The leader smiled evilly. "Looks like we get to have some fun tonight…"

…

Author's notes: Yeah, I left you with a cliff-hanger, but this chapter was getting long, and I figured that was a good point to leave off.

The beauty of releasing by saga: rather than having to wait for the next chapter, you can just read on! Isn't that wonderful? (_smiles big_)

And this part is what took so long for release. I was looking for the perfect finish to this saga, and it took me almost a week to think it up.

Next Chapter: The Love that is Often Overlooked


	81. The Love that is Often Overlooked

The Love that is Often Overlooked

…

Still the same night

…

The parents were sitting at home, unable to sleep.

They instead talked about what they did to make their kids run away.

"She found out from Osaka that a honeymoon isn't really boring…" Kaorin said.

"She pointed out that we were acting differently, and I guess I didn't pick up on it until she ran into her room…" Yomi said.

"She caught us having sex…" Joe said.

The other four stared at the two on the couch, as Sakaki's face turned beat red. Joe continued to stare at the ground.

"I take full blame for it too…I was so getting into being married…so ready to have more kids…I guess I just let my perverted side run a little too loose…" Joe said.

"No, it's my fault too…" Sakaki said, staring at the ground. "I wanted more kids…I just fed into it…"

The four looked on, and thought about it themselves.

"You know, it was the first time I had actually had sex…" Yomi said, deeply lost in thought. "I guess that sheer happiness was a bit too much for me to handle at the beginning…"

"You can't blame yourself, Yomi…" Tomo said, staring down at the ground. "You didn't know what to expect, and neither did I…"

Kagura and Kaorin both sighed.

"I guess we've still got some growing up and learning to do as adults…" Kaorin said sadly.

"We all do…" Kagura piped in.

Joe wiped away another tear that ran down his face. Already, he felt himself failing as a husband and a father. He had promised to always protect Nekosa, and now she ran away because of something he did.

He looked over at his wife, and felt even worse. She continued to stare at the phone, expecting it to ring at any moment.

Joe sat up. He took a deep breath. "Tanaka, I'm sorry for what I did…"

Sakaki looked over at him. He looked deeply troubled.

Sakaki moved herself over, and hugged him tightly. "It's both our faults. There's no blame here."

Joe returned the tight hug.

This caused Tomo to have to hug Yomi tightly, as well as Kaorin to hug Kagura.

The parents, fearing for their kids' lives, found comfort only in the arms each other.

…

Back in the alleyway

…

The five men began closing in on the three kids. Koyomiko and Nekosa curled up tighter, Koharu trying to look tough, and failing miserably.

"Let's do this!" The leader said.

A bright light suddenly flashed from the end of the alleyway.

"What the hell…?!" The leader yelled.

SHRING!!

The light suddenly vanished.

"Well, that was weird…" The leader said, turning back toward the girls.

The four other guys lifted up their knives, only to find that they were now holding only handles.

They guys looked down to see that all four knives had been cut cleanly into 4 separate pieces, and now lie on the ground.

The men began to shiver.

The leader noticed that that little cat girl was staring terrified at something on the wall.

The leader looked to see two glowing green eyes in the darkness.

"So, it was you, then?" The leader asked, no longer afraid.

The green eyes continued to stare back,

"Well, then I guess I need to take you down…" The leader said, punching his fist into his open hand.

A chill was sent up the leader's spine, as the object in the dark suddenly smiled.

A big bear-trap smile.

The object began to glow once more, as the cat known to most of the world as Kamineko showed his super form to these men.

"Now, finish them off!!" Someone yelled.

In a flash, Kamineko had laid a virtual beat down on the five guys in the alleyway. Only Nekosa's cat eyes could keep up with it, as Kamineko slashed up their legs, arms, and faces, then would easily kick them off, sending them flying.

Kamineko landed on the ground right in front of the girls, then turned around to face them, his smile still showing.

"Way to go, Koibitoneko!" A little girl with brown hair tied into two long braids and a long lighter brown dress came running up, picked up the cat, and hugged it tightly.

Kamineko turned gray, stopped smiling, and began purring.

"Well, that was certainly a close one…" Another woman came walking up. She had the same hair and clothes as this little girl did, only it was tied into one long braid rather than two, and she was much taller.

The three girls remained speechless.

The tall woman looked down at the three girls before her.

"You…look familiar…" she said, looking at Koharu.

Her eyes passed to Koyomiko, who was still sheltering a very frightened…

"Nekosa-chan?" the woman asked.

Nekosa looked up at the woman.

"It's me, Rachel, remember?" The woman said, pointing to herself.

"I'm Ami! Remember me, Nekosa-chan?" The little girl asked.

Nekosa just tried to hide herself behind Koyomiko.

"So, what happened with you guys?" Rachel asked.

"Well, we, uh…" Koharu really didn't want to tell Rachel that they had run away from home.

Rachel looked down at Koharu's right arm, which hung limp at her side.

"Are you hurt?" Rachel asked.

"N-no!!" Koharu said, backing up.

"Alright then…" Rachel said, not wanting to push the subject further.

"Well, we have to go, there's a big dinner waiting for us at home!" Ami said, as she walked off out of the alleyway.

All three of the girls stomachs let off another growl.

Rachel sweat-dropped. "Would you three like to join us?"

Koharu looked back at Koyomiko, who nodded. Nekosa was still curled up by Koyomiko.

"Please…" Koharu said, turning back to Rachel. "We'd love to."

As the girls walked out of the alleyway, a tall figure stood on the rooftop of a building that was part of the alleyway.

"It seems you have some new found power, my pet…and Nekosa, my daughter…I will get you back…"

…

Over at Rachel's house, Koharu and Koyomiko began wolfing down food. Their hunger had made them suffer for long enough.

Nekosa, on the other hand, sat on a couch that was in the living room, hugging a pillow as if it were her lifeline, still as silent as ever.

Rachel continued to notice it, but Koharu would wince every time she tried to use her right hand.

"Seriously, are you hurt?" Rachel asked.

"I said I'm fine…" Koharu said angrily.

Koharu picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks, and they both fell back to her plate.

"OWWWWW!!!" Koharu grabbed her right arm.

Rachel immediately stood up, grabbed hold of Koharu's hand, and lifted up Koharu's right sleeve.

The right arm was swelling up, and beginning to bruise from the inside.

"That could be bad…" Rachel said. "Wait right here."

Rachel ran out of the room, and into her bathroom not far from the living room and dining room. She reached out, grabbed a huge first aid bag (I mean HUGE), and lugged it back out to where Koharu was sitting.

"I said I'm fine…" Koharu grumbled.

Rachel glared at Koharu, who sat there, looking at her plate.

"What's your name?" Rachel asked.

"Koharu…Koharu Aida-Kagura" Koharu responded.

Kagura and Kaorin's child?! Rachel thought.

"Well, Koharu-chan, I want to show you something…" Rachel immediately and without warning grabbed Koharu's bruising arm.

Koharu screamed in pain. Koyomiko had to cover her ears to stop the horrible noise. Nekosa began breathing hard again.

"That, Koharu-chan, is why you are not fine." Rachel said as she let go. Koharu had tears running down her face. "That bruising is an indication that someone almost broke your arm. And if it's used anymore, you may have to get surgery and a cast!"

Koharu looked angrily at Rachel, who continued to glare back.

Rachel began bandaging Koharu's arm, then placing a sling around Koharu's shoulder, and putting her right arm in it.

"There…" Rachel said, as she finished.

Koharu remained silent for a moment, before…

"Thank you."

Rachel smiled. "You're welcome"

"So, what's your name?" She asked Koyomiko.

"Koyomiko…Koyomiko Takino-Mizuhara" Koyomiko responded.

Rachel looked like she was about to have a heart attack.

"Tomo and Yomi?!?!"

"Yeah, that's my Mama and Kaa-san…" Koyomiko said sadly.

As Rachel, in a total state of shock and confusion, went to put her medical bag away, Koyomiko whispered to Koharu.

"How's it feel?"

"My Kaori-kaa-san could always do it so that it never hurt…I've had so many injuries, but none this bad…" Koharu said, continuing to stare at her plate.

Koyomiko was feeling the same way Koharu was. Though the food was good, she was craving a sandwich made perfectly by her Kaa-san.

As Rachel came back out of the bathroom (feeling better in the head), she noticed that Nekosa was still sitting on the couch, holding on to that pillow for dear life.

Rachel quickly ran into the dining room, filled a plate up with food, and walked back out to the living room.

"Are you…hungry, Nekosa-chan?" Rachel asked.

Nekosa was still silent.

Rachel kneeled down in front of Nekosa.

"Aren't you hungry?" Rachel repeated.

Nekosa remained unmoving, still staring at this one spot, the look of fear in her eyes.

Rachel put the food on the couch next to Nekosa, and stood up, staring worriedly at Nekosa.

The front door opened.

"_Je suis à la maison_!" The man coming through the front door said. He immediately noticed that there were three more girls in the house.

"_Que continue_?" The man asked.

Rachel walked over to talk to the man.

"_Le Ami et moi avons trouvé ces gosses dans une allée. Je connais l'un d'entre eux_." Rachel said.

The man looked at the three girls.

"Hello!"

Koyomiko was the only one to turn and say "Hi" back, but she said it halfheartedly.

Ami came walking out of her room that was connected to the living room.

"OK, mom, the spare futons are set up in my room!" Ami immediately noticed the man standing in the doorway.

"_Papa_!" Ami yelled happily, running downstairs and giving her father a hug.

That particular moment made Nekosa look up, and all three of the girls suddenly longed for what Ami had just given her father.

That warming hug, the feeling that everything was going to be ok…

"_Ami! Allait-il comment votre jour?_" The man asked.

"_Très bien!"_ Ami responded happily back.

"Well, I guess we need to get these kids to bed…"Rachel said. "_Nous parlerons de lui plus tard…_" she whispered to her husband.

Koyomiko and Koharu both got down from the table, and walked into the room. Nekosa waited for a moment.

Rachel pulled her husband into the kitchen, while Ami walked into her room with Koharu and Koyomiko.

(This is going to be translated from French)

"What's going on?" Her husband asked.

"Ami and I found them in an alleyway, and they were hungry, cold, and they were about to be beaten up by some men! Lucky we had Koibitoneko with us…" Rachel said.

Her husband turned to see Kamineko curled up in his own little basket, sleeping.

"I still don't like that cat. He gives me the chills when he smiles…"

"Still…" Rachel said. "I don't know if those kids were abandoned or what, but that little girl with the cat features won't talk at all. I'm really worried about all of them…"

Rachel's seriously worried look clued on her husband that he'd better help her.

"Don't worry about it. We'll help them out for now, and see how things turn out."

Rachel smiled. She loved how her husband was such an understanding man…

The two shared in a romantic kiss, before Rachel turned back out into the living room.

She noticed how Nekosa was gone off the couch, and an empty plate was now the only thing there.

(End French Translation)

…

"This is my room!" Ami said, beaming happily. "Isn't it nice?"

The three looked around. The walls were colored white. Sitting next to the door was Ami's dresser, and on top stood a mirror, along with a jewelry case. On the other side of the room stood a bed, along with a lamp on a nightstand on the left side. To the left of the nightstand was a bookcase, filled with books, DVD's, and Manga books. And in that corner stood a small TV on an entertainment center, with a DVD player beneath it.

Koyomiko immediately noticed a "Lupin III" Manga book, and couldn't help but miss her Mama. Koharu wanted to play some video games before she went to bed, but noticed that there wasn't any sort of gaming system in the room. Now she also missed her Natsuko-mama, who would always play with her before she went to bed as well.

Nekosa, still clinging on to that pillow, now got into her futon, and missed her mother even more. Her mother would always tuck her in before she headed off to bed. But now…

Nekosa had pretty much forgiven her mother and father. Right now, all she wanted was an explanation as to what had happened.

"Well, I suppose we should go to bed…" Ami said, as she flicked off the light.

Koharu and Koyomiko got into their futons, and tried to go to sleep. Nekosa also tried.

But none of these kids would get any sort of sleep whatsoever.

Nekosa had that same nightmare. Except this time the big dog chased her out into traffic, where some oncoming headlights came at her…

Koharu had a nightmare where that bouncer first broke her legs, then proceeded to break her arms, then he grabbed her head, and…

Koyomiko had a nightmare about those men. All four of them came at her, and their knives aimed for her stomach, and stabbed…

All three girls snapped awake, and sat up at precisely the same time, screaming slightly. They all looked around, only to realize that they weren't home, and that they couldn't go to any parent for even a comforting hug, telling them it had only been a nightmare.

Ami had been woken up by this, but not her parents, who were in their own room, sleeping.

"Koharu-chan, running away wasn't such a good idea…I wanna go home…" Koyomiko moaned, as she wrapped her arms around her knees.

"We can't go home…our parents won't take us back after this…" Koharu said, staring at the ground.

Nekosa began to cry.

"That's not true." Ami said. "Your parents will always love you, no matter what."

Koharu and Koyomiko thought about this for a minute, then tried to fall back asleep (failing miserably)

Nekosa put her entire body underneath her futon covers, and yet still didn't feel safe.

…

Joe and Sakaki had taken it upon themselves to go looking even in the dark for the kids. The other four had stayed behind to watch the phone in case the cops called.

Though Joe and Sakaki called and called out for the kids, they got no response.

However, upon walking upon this one alleyway, and noticed 5 guys, still totally knocked out.

"Hey, this looks like Koharu-chan's work!" Joe said hopefully.

Joe walked into the alleyway, and immediately noticed something that wasn't Koharu's handy work.

Big claw scratches across their faces.

"Those eyes…" one knocked out guy kept chanting. "…those big green eyes…and that yellow fur…"

Joe gasped. "No…"

Sakaki felt her heart skip a beat.

…

Rachel would walk into the room the next morning to find Koharu and Koyomiko sitting up, looking saddened.

Nekosa was under her futon covers, shivering hard.

"So, did you sleep well?" Rachel asked.

Koharu and Koyomiko both shook their heads.

"I did!!" Ami replied happily.

"Ok, Ami, there's some breakfast on the table!!" Rachel responded happily to her daughter.

"Yay!!" Ami said happily, literally pouncing out of bed and running into the dining room.

"Rachel-san?" Koharu asked. "Can I…ask you something?

"Yes?"

"Say…Ami-san ran away, then wanted to come back home. Would you let her?" Koharu asked, looking up at Rachel.

Koyomiko also looked up at Rachel, waiting for an answer. Nekosa actually popped her head out of the futon to hear the answer.

"Of course I would. She's my daughter and I love her very much." Rachel said. She had easily gotten the hint of what Koharu was asking.

So, they ran away from home…I think I'd better call the police, Rachel thought.

"Why, Koharu-chan? Do you want to go home?" Rachel asked.

Koharu grabbed her knees, and curled herself up. She nodded. Koyomiko did the same.

Nekosa curled herself back underneath the futon covers, and spoke for the first time in hours. "I want my okaasan…"

"OK, then." Rachel said. She went out and grabbed the phone.

…

Sakaki hadn't stopped crying. She truly believed Nekosa to be dead.

In fact, most of the parents believed the same thing. Once the whole 'Kamineko' incident was explained, they truly believed their kids to be dead.

The phone rang, and everybody went silent. Joe picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, just wonderin' how the kid hutin's goin'?" Osaka asked.

"Osaka-san, I'm really not in the mood right now…" and Joe hung up the phone. The mood suddenly went to depression again.

Almost immediately, the phone rang again.

"Hello?" Joe asked again.

"Listen, I know that you guys told Koharu-chan that honeymoons were supposed to be boring, and I'm sorry I said what I did…" Osaka continued.

"I'll make sure to deliver the message…" Joe said.

"So, you guys haven't found 'em yet?" Osaka asked.

"I'm really, truly not in the mood, Osaka…" Joe said, before hanging up again.

The phone rang instantly again.

"I said I'm not in the mood, Osaka!!!" Joe yelled angrily.

He suddenly stopped as talking came from the other side.

"W-where?" Joe asked, his eyes wide.

…

In an instant, Sakaki's door slammed open, and the parents went dashing down the street, Sakaki and Kagura in front.

"Damn their speed!" Tomo yelled.

A while down, Kagura began to pass Sakaki. All those years of training for the Olympics finally paid off.

But Kagura didn't notice at the time, nor did she care. The only thing on her mind was Koharu.

…

Rachel, her husband, Ami, Koharu, Koyomiko, and Nekosa all sat around the table. Koharu, Koyomiko, and Nekosa were not eating.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Rachel got up, and walked to the door.

"Ah, Kagura-san! So nice to see you again!" Rachel said happily.

"Natsuko-mama?!" Koharu yelled from the dining room.

Rachel turned her body, so that Koharu got full view of Kagura.

Koharu already had tears running down her face. She started running, and Kagura met her in the living room. The two shared in one of the biggest hugs the two had ever given in a long time.

Kagura couldn't help but start to cry either.

A few seconds later, Sakaki came running up to the door.

"Okaasaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!" Nekosa cried, as she ran to Sakaki and pounced into her arms. And the two cried as hard as they could.

Kaorin and Joe came running in at that point, and joined in the hugging and crying.

Koyomiko waited for a moment…and another…she began to feel downhearted…a few tears flowed down her face…

"Damn you all!!!" Koyomiko instantly perked up at these words being heard from outside.

She ran past the two hugging groups, and outside. Right outside Rachel's house, on their hands and knees, were Tomo and Yomi, panting heavily.

"Mama? Kaa-san?"

Yomi and Tomo looked up, and instantly got their second wind, as they both saw their daughter right before them.

Koyomiko ran up to Tomo with outstretched arms. Tomo opened hers, and embraced the hug. Yomi crawled over to the group, and joined in the hug.

"Now that'll just melt your heart…" Rachel whispered, one of the biggest smiles on her face. She had to wipe away a tear of her own.

"What happened to your arm?" Kaorin asked.

"A (_sniff_) big mean m-man almost broke it…" Koharu said, still crying as hard as she could into Kagura.

Kaorin pulled in a hug tighter. "I'm just glad you're ok…"

Nekosa was crying as loud as she could. How that warming hug was something she had so badly missed over the past day.

"Can I…have a sandwich when we get home…the one's that Kaa-san makes?" Koyomiko asked, still buried in-between Tomo and Yomi.

"Sure you can…" Yomi said.

Koyomiko began to cry again.

…

Author's notes: Once again, I had to write a part in my own story that made me cry…

Special thanks to Altavista for providing English to French Translations.

I also realize that with missing persons, the police usually bring them to the station, but I felt that the emotion of the scene would have been lost.

Next Chapter: Explanations, The Final Chapter in the After-Marriage Saga


	82. Explainations, End AfterMarriage Saga

Explanations, the Final Chapter of the After-Marriage Saga

…

The parents thanked Rachel for everything, and began walking home. Koyomiko stayed with her arms around Tomo's neck, Koharu stayed in Kagura's arms, and Nekosa stayed with her arms curled around Sakaki's neck.

There wasn't a whole lot of talking, just the simple fact that they were all happy to be back together again.

…

Once Joe, Sakaki, and Nekosa all got home, Sakaki sat down on the couch with Nekosa, and Joe sat down next to them.

"Nekosa…I think we need to give you some sort of explanation…" Joe started.

Nekosa perked up.

"Ok, basically, the stork is a little lie that parents tell their younger kids. My mom did the same thing with me. What really makes a baby is what your mother and I were doing…"

Sakaki began blushing at this point, but she let Joe continue, because she really needed Nekosa to hear this.

"…I'm not really going to explain the action, seeing as how you kind of got full view of that…but anyway, the next thing that happens is a baby will grow inside of your mother, and then it will pop out about 9 months later…"

"So, you and Okaa-san were trying to make a baby?" Nekosa asked.

"Yes, and that's kind of what we were doing…" Joe said.

Nekosa thought about it for a moment.

"I wanna a baby!!" Nekosa suddenly declared.

Sakaki's face turned a total different shade of red. Joe really had to fight to keep from bursting out laughing.

"N-nekosa…" Joe said, trying to regain his composure. "Only adults can have babies…"

"oooooooooh…" Nekosa said.

"So, you can only have babies once you're, say, 20. That sounds like a good age…" Joe said, looking at Sakaki.

Sakaki nodded.

"OK, then! You go make babies!!" Nekosa said, giving Joe a thumbs up.

Sakaki's face turned red again. Joe burst out laughing this time.

…

Yomi and Tomo sat down on the couch, Koyomiko wrapped up in Tomo's arms.

"Aren't you going to make sandwiches?" Koyomiko asked.

"First, we need to talk…" Yomi said.

"You were right, Koyomiko. We were acting differently. We just didn't see it ourselves." Tomo said.

"Just…next time, if we don't believe you, just…" Yomi tried to think.

"Just give us a nice bonk on the head! That'll set us right!" Tomo said, giving a big wild-cat grin.

"OK!" Koyomiko said, giving a thumbs up.

The three shared in another hug for a moment.

"Sandwiches?" Koyomiko asked again.

"Oh, right!" Yomi said. She quickly got up and ran to make sandwiches.

…

Koharu, still in Kagura's arms, sat down with her parents.

"Koharu…I want you to know that, yes, we did lie to you about what a honeymoon was, but…it's not what Osaka said either…" Kaorin started.

"Huh?" Koharu asked, looking confused.

"A honeymoon is something that two adults, who have just married, go on to…to get to know each other better, yeah…" Kagura said. "We can't really bring kids along…because it would be boring for kids, because there's only adult stuff to do…"

"Like what?" Koharu asked.

Kagura and Kaorin looked at each other, wondering what to say.

"Like…soaking in a hot tub for hours!" Kagura said suddenly.

"Hours?! But then your fingers get all pruny!" Koharu said in utter shock.

"And that's why it's for adults…imagine sitting in a hot tub with nothing to do for hours…nothing but talking. " Kaorin piped in.

Koharu shivered, causing both Kagura and Kaorin to laugh.

"Just know that Osaka-san is still our friend, and she always will be. It's just that uh…alien hunting for all these years has kind of gone to her head…" Kaorin said.

"Definitely…" Kagura responded.

Koharu smiled at them. It was so nice to be home…

The three re-shared in another hug. A nice long hug.

"Natsuko-mama, I was wondering…could we…play some video games?" Koharu asked.

"I don't really think you can, with that broken arm of yours…" Kagura responded.

"Speaking of which, Rachel actually did a pretty good job with this…" Kaorin said, examining the bandages.

"Yeah, though it hurt when she put it on, not like with you, Kaori-kaa-san…" Koharu said.

"Thanks…" Kaorin said, giving Koharu a closed-eyed smile.

…

The next day

…

Joe decided to go visit his friend Shaun. He made a stop at Chiyo's house, and waited outside the door, as Shaun came out.

(Note: This next part is all English.)

"Hey, Shaun!"

"Hey, Joe!"

"Feels good to speak in our native tongue, doesn't it?" Joe asked.

"hehe…gotten so used to speaking Japanese…" Shaun said, rubbing the back of his head with one hand.

"Yeah…Japanese rocks." Joe said, looking away.

"So, find the kids?" Shaun asked.

"Yeah, thank god they were ok…" Joe said.

Chiyo (adult form) came walking out of the house, dressed up for work.

"Ikimasu!" Chiyo said.

"Sayonara, my love…" Shaun responded. The two shared in a passionate kiss, then Chiyo walked off, changing into her child form as she went.

"Will still never get used to that…" Joe said.

"She finds it easier to operate in that form…she says her boobs get in the way otherwise…"

Both guys laughed.

"So…did you do it yet?" Joe asked.

"Huh?" Shaun asked.

"Well, I found out that the age of consent for Japan here is 13…although that's gross, it does allow for 17-year-olds…" Joe said.

Shaun began to shiver slightly.

"What?" Joe asked.

"I asked her once, when I did find out that fact…" Shaun said. "You know what she did?"

Joe shook his head.

Shaun closed his eyes hard. "She told me of every last STD on the planet, and their effects to your genitals, then told me to never ask again…"

"Ouch…" Joe said, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. Then his mouth moved before his brain could stop it. "What was the worst one?"

"Your genitals turn black, and just fall off…" Shaun said, grabbing his crotch.

Joe turned a slight green.

"I think I'm gonna be sick…"

"Lesson learned. Never pressure a doctor into having sex…" Shaun said, as he walked back in the house.

(End English Translations)

…

"You did what?!" Kagura yelled. She had gone over to visit Osaka, to just tell her to quiet down her alien talking and the like when around Koharu. But now Kagura had gotten a full ear-full of something else.

"Yeah, and it was really weird…" Osaka said. "See, I never really thought about it until now…but I was glad when it happened, because it happened with someone I like…"

"I'm leaving!" Arata yelled, as he walked out dressed for work.

He and Osaka shared in a romantic kiss.

Kagura got the chills. That was just weird to her…

Arata walked off as Osaka stood there, sighing happily.

"So, um…gonna have kids?" Kagura asked.

"Once we rid the planet of the alien menace," Osaka said.

Kagura looked at her like she was crazy.

"Um…I'm just…gonna go now…" Kagura said, as she slowly started backing away.

"OK, bye! Come again!" Osaka said, waving.

…

One week later

…

The doorbell rang at the Handlebarz residence. Rachel answered.

At her door stood somewhere close to 100 lbs of cat food, all in 10 separate 10 lb bags. Along with them came a note.

"Thank you for taking care of our kids…

Natsuko Kagura, Kaorin Aida, Yomi Mizuhara, Tomo Takino, Joe Sakaki, and Tanaka Sakaki.

"Thanks, guys…" Rachel said with a smile, as she proceeded to lug the cat food inside.

…

(A bit of a spoiler for the next saga here)

Meanwhile, someone stood on a rooftop close to the Sakaki residence.

"So, my Nekosa is now under the protection of that spineless woman and her equally spineless man…this will be easy."

The woman jumped off the roof, landing easily, and proceeded to walk off to plan how to get hold of her daughter.

…

Author's notes: And finally, the last chapter of this saga is put down.

Anyway, I've e-mailed the guys at Fanfiction asking them if there is a limit to the number of chapters you can have in any one fic, and I haven't gotten a response yet…

So, yeah, the next saga has Nekosa's second donor being revealed, as well as a few other naturally good surprises in it.

This saga was about love, the next saga's gonna be about the bad guys.

Oh, make sure to check my profile every once in a while. I have a few polls there right now, but I'll also be keeping updates as to how the next saga is coming along.

See you guys later!!

-JBK2K1

Jamesbondkid will return in the "Evil Saga"


	83. School Preparations, begin Evil Saga

School Preparations, begin Evil Saga

…

Friday, April 18th (The day after the kids were found)

…

Koyomiko woke up that morning to find that her mothers were already out of bed and making breakfast.

As she walked out of her room, she came to realize something that had been unanswered the previous day.

She walked in to where Yomi was making breakfast, and pulled on Yomi's shirt.

Yomi looked down and smiled at her daughter.

"Good Morning, Koyomiko. Could you please set the table? Breakfast is almost ready" Yomi said, in a happy voice.

Yomi had the same voice as the one when Koyomiko ran away, and Koyomiko could hear it again. But at least this time she could try to get some answers…

Koyomiko took the plates, cups, and forks to the table, and set them out in the three individual spots. She then sat down in her own spot, but now stared at the plate.

At this point, Tomo came walking in the front door in her street clothes, carrying a large briefcase.

"Good morning, Mama…" Koyomiko said half-heartedly.

Tomo immediately picked up on this. She walked over to her spot at the table, and sat down.

"Koyomiko, what's wrong?" Tomo asked

"Kaa-san is acting funny again…" Koyomiko said, still keeping her gaze at her plate.

"Hey, Koyomiko" Tomo said, grabbing the attention of her daughter. "Listen, as soon as breakfast is done, I think we need to have a talk…"

Tomo was actually amazed with herself. To instigate a grown up talk like that was…mature. Something Tomo never saw herself becoming…

…

After breakfast

…

Yomi set her utensils down on her plate.

"That was an awesome breakfast…I'm stuffed…" Yomi said, rubbing her belly.

Koyomiko, however, was even more bothered. It had been another almost completely silent breakfast.

Tomo noticed Koyomiko staring with a concerned look at her plate.

Tomo nudged Yomi to grab her attention.

"Yomi…I think our daughter would like to have a conversation with us…" Tomo said.

Yomi was utterly shocked. Tomo was once again showing this mature side that she rarely ever showed…

Yomi sighed heavily. "Ok, let's go into the living room…"

The three of the Takino-Mizuhara family walked into the living room. Koyomiko sat down on the floor while the two parents sat down on the couch in front of her.

"So, Koyomiko, whad'ja wanna know?" Tomo asked.

"Why are you two acting so differently?" Koyomiko asked without hesitation.

"What do you mean?" Yomi asked.

"Well, Kaa-san, you're still acting all happy, and Mama, you're being quiet…" Koyomiko said.

"Well, see, Koyomiko, it's like this…" Tomo started.

And Tomo began talking, making interesting motions as she did, while that peaceful Nyamo music began playing in the background…

Yomi hit Tomo over the head.

_(RECORD SCRATCH!)_

"Idiot!! She's too young for that sort of thing!" Yomi said, gritting her teeth.

"hehe…sorry" Tomo said, displaying a goofy smile to Yomi.

"Um…Koyomiko, why don't you ask a more specific question?" Yomi asked.

Koyomiko thought about it for a moment. She wasn't really sure how to ask a more specific question than that.

A thought suddenly popped into Koyomiko's mind. A thought that she had had before only once, but her caretaker Funari couldn't answer it.

"Kaa-san, how did you and Mama meet?" Koyomiko asked.

So, Yomi would launch into a long explanation of when her and Tomo first met, way back in grade school, during recess. Yomi made sure to point out that she had no idea this girl would set her up for life.

Yomi would continue to explain that Tomo would follow her all throughout their 12 years of school.

"Aw, I know ya loved it!" Tomo pipped in.

"Some times more than others..." Yomi responded in a grumbly tone.

Yomi also pointed out that Tomo went all-out to make it into the same high school as Yomi, even if it was a pretty hard school to get into.

"I remember that too! Your glasses fell right off of your face!" Tomo said, laughing.

"They did not!" Yomi yelled back.

"Wow, Mama!" Koyomiko said in amazement. "Why'd you try so hard to get into the same school as Kaa-san?"

"hehe...so I could annoy her some more" Tomo said, displaying a big wildcat grin.

"Really?" Yomi said, a grin slowly growing on her own face. "I don't think that's the truthful answer...

"I uh...have no idea what you're talking about..." Tomo said nervously.

"Riiiiiiiiiiight..." Yomi said, giving Tomo a big grin.

Yomi continued, pointing out that, even when they were separated in college, Tomo still took every advantage to come and find her, though she says it was to annoy her.

Tomo looked away, blushing slightly.

"So, Kaa-san, what happened next?" Koyomiko asked.

Koyomiko was severely interested, like a child being read a book for the first time, not knowing how the story goes.

"Well...then we came over to America, and that's when you came in." Yomi said.

Tomo was utterly silent. She was actually thinking about what really brought her to Yomi in the first place, but didn't want to say anything about that horrible guy.

"…but I guess that's where your Mama and I really started to show feelings for each other, was because of you." Yomi said, smiling down at Koyomiko.

Koyomiko smiled, satisfied with the answer, yet she had one more question pop into her head.

"But…if it was me that caused you to change, why did I just notice a few days ago?" Koyomiko asked.

"Well, I guess it's because we had a talk after you went to bed, Koyomiko…" Yomi said, sounding very serious, which immediately perked up Koyomiko's interest.

"Yeah, and...I guess it was my fault that the whole thing started..." Tomo pointed out glumly. "But your Kaa-san and I had a long talk that night, followed by..."

"Sleeping in the same bed for the first time!" Yomi quickly blurted out

Tomo looked over at Yomi, who looked back at her with an 'I just saved your butt' look in her eyes.

"OH!" Koyomiko said. "Wait, didn't you sleep in the same bed when I showed up?"

"I mean without you being there, Koyomiko," Yomi quickly said.

"Ooooh…" Koyomiko said.

"So now we're closer than ever, we love each other, and so on..." Tomo said, waving one hand in the air.

Koyomiko just smiled. She stood up, walked over and sat in between the two on the couch.

"Group Hug!" Koyomiko yelled happily.

Yomi and Tomo looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders, then shared in a nice big family hug.

…

Kagura, Kaorin, and Koharu came out of a shirt store. They were shopping for Koharu's first day in school, which was set for Monday.

"I already know what shirt's I'm going to wear for the first day of school!" Koharu said, giving off a Kagura-like smile.

"Why did we pick out that shirt?" Kaorin moaned, rubbing her forehead with the palm of her hand.

Kagura gave off the same smile that Koharu had on her face. "Because it fits her personality perfectly."

"Yeah!" Koharu said happily. "I like it!"

Although Koharu was 7, and should have been in school already, Kagura and Kaorin decided to put Koharu in Grade 1, seeing as how she hadn't been in school yet.

However, another child was having a bit of an issue.

…

Nekosa was crying hard into Sakaki's shoulder.

Nekosa had just gotten back into the warm arms of her mother and father. Now because she had to go to school, she faced the problem of having to leave those arms again.

"I don't wanna go!!" Nekosa cried.

Sakaki just continued to hug, staring at the wall. She also didn't want Nekosa to go off to school either. She had already lost Nekosa twice in public, and both times were the worst times of her life. Still, Nekosa HAD to go to school.

…

Joe sat in his room, in his thinking chair. His eyes were closed, his head was down, and his arms were crossed. This was his 'thinking pose'.

Joe opened his eyes and sighed. He saw no other option at this point…

Joe walked out and sat down next to Sakaki and a crying Nekosa.

"Nekosa…" Joe said to grab her attention.

Nekosa stopped crying for a moment, and looked over at her father.

"I think…" Joe took a deep breath. "I think that, at least for this first year, we may just home school you."

Nekosa now had her full attention on Joe.

"But I want you to know that it'll only be for a year, and in that time, we're going to try to get you comfortable being away from the two of us." Joe continued.

Joe moved in closer, and Sakaki moved Nekosa so she was between both her parents.

"I know that you really don't want to leave us, especially considering what you've been through, but you do need to learn eventually to kind of be on your own."

Even though Nekosa knew these words to be true, she still seemed a bit hurt by them. Noticing this, Joe hugged Nekosa tightly.

"I don't really want you to leave us either, but it's just the way things have to be…" he whispered to Nekosa. "Just…promise me that you'll try your hardest."

Nekosa now hugged Joe back. "Ok, Otousan, I promise."

Sakaki just watched this, amazed at how Joe, who wasn't Nekosa's biological father, somehow managed to love her as if she really was his own daughter.

Sakaki leaned over, and also joined in the hug.

"I'm just glad my job allows me to work from home during these particular months, or we'd have some serious problems." Joe said, which caused everyone to smile a bit.

…

Back in the US

…

James and Funari were walking down the road to the corporation.

"So..." James started, looking away. "Did you watch Tomo and Yomi have sex?"

"Um..." Funari started, blushing. "I didn't really wa-"

Funari suddenly stopped.

"Wait, how would you know?!" Funari asked angrily

Funari noticed that James had also stopped, and was staring ahead of her, his mouth gaping open in utter shock.

Funari also looked, and the same expression came on her face.

The corporation that they had been fighting for years now lie in ruin, as if someone, or something, had blown it up.

…

Author's notes: Yeah, that corporation that originally created the Azu-kids is now gone. But as to who destroyed it, well, you'll find out later ;)

Next Chapter: The First School Day


	84. The first day of School

The First Day of School

Guest Appearance: Naru Narusegawa of Love Hina!

…

Monday April 21st (The first day of school)

…

Koyomiko, Yomi, and Tomo were walking down the street. Koyomiko had hold of one of each of her mother's hands.

Koyomiko was excited. Today was going to be her first day of school.

"I'm just so excited!!" Koyomiko said in a very jittery tone. "I can't wait to draw stuff, and show everyone!!"

"Yeah, you show 'em!" Tomo said, giving Koyomiko a thumbs up.

"Make sure to make some friends, too, OK?" Yomi said.

"OK, Kaa-san!!" Koyomiko said happily.

As the family walked to the gate, Tomo and Yomi were forced to stop walking when they noticed something.

Koyomiko had frozen up.

This was it…the moment where she would have to go to school…without her mothers.

Koyomiko had only been living with them for a few months, and already she had to leave them?!

Koyomiko's eyes filled up with tears.

"What's wrong, Koyomiko?" Yomi asked, both her and Tomo looking back at their daughter.

"Mama, Kaa-san, can you come in with me?" Koyomiko asked. "I'm…a little scared…"

Tomo and Yomi looked at each other, and it kind of hit them at this point as well. Koyomiko would have to go into school without them. The only other time that Koyomiko had been away from them was when she had run away, and that had turned out horribly.

Both Tomo and Yomi kneeled down, and pulled Koyomiko up to them.

"Koyomiko…" Tomo started. "We…can't go with you…"

"But why not?!" Koyomiko said, on the verge of yelling it. The tears were becoming more noticeable.

"Because we have jobs to go to…" Yomi responded in a very saddened tone.

Koyomiko closed her eyes. Tears began to fall down her face, and land on the cement below.

Yomi was the first to give Koyomiko a hug. Tomo moved in, and hugged the both of them.

"I know it's going to be hard, Koyomiko…" Yomi whispered. "…but just know that you come home every day afterwards."

Koyomiko grabbed on to Yomi, since she was on the inside, and hugged her VERY tightly.

"But you have to stay with me!!" Koyomiko cried, the tears now falling faster down her face.

"We…can't, Koyomiko." Tomo said, a tear running down her own face. Oh, how she wanted so badly to go with Koyomiko to school. But she had her own job to consider…

"But I'm scared!!" Koyomiko said in a frightened, crying tone. "What if someone bad is in there?"

"Don't worry. Nobody's going to get you. And if anyone does, Mama will come and arrest them." Tomo said.

Koyomiko began sniffling. The thought that her Mama could protect her, even if she was at school, calmed her down a little bit.

"Hey…" Yomi said, as she pulled out of the hug, and stared into Koyomiko's watery eyes. "…don't worry. At the end of the day, you'll still come back to us. And at least one, if not both, of us will always be here to pick you up."

Koyomiko quickly pulled herself in for another hug with Yomi.

After letting go, Koyomiko whipped around and hugged Tomo tightly, and Tomo hugged Koyomiko tightly back.

"Be good, OK?" Tomo said in that saddened tone. A tear ran down her face.

Koyomiko slowly pulled away, the tears still running down her own face.

Koyomiko very slowly began walking toward the school. She turned around, and with her arm in the air, began waving goodbye frantically.

Tomo and Yomi raised their hands and began waving goodbye as well.

This scene continued for a good 10 minutes. Koyomiko slowly walking backwards into the preschool, waiving frantically; and Tomo and Yomi standing there, forced smiles on their faces, waving back. Tears were running down the adults faces as well, though they weren't running anywhere close to Koyomiko's.

And finally, Koyomiko entered the school, and the door closed behind her.

"Hurts ya to see her growing up so quickly…" Tomo said, still staring at the door Koyomiko had just entered.

"Yeah…" Yomi replied almost automatically.

"Hey, you said one or both of us is going to be here to pick her up!" Tomo said suddenly, turning toward Yomi. "How the hell are one of us gonna pick her up?!"

"Well, I am a dietician, so I'll be here" Yomi said with a slight grin. "I'll be appealing to mothers all over the globe when I show up everyday to pick up my daughter from her school."

"Damn you and your appeal." Tomo replied, before heading back home to get ready for work herself.

Yomi took one last look at the school, the grin on her face gone.

She could joke about it all she wanted, but deep down, she hated to see her little girl grow up.

"OH, CRAP!!" Yomi yelled.

"What now?" Tomo asked.

"We forgot to tell Koyomiko what class she was in!!" Yomi yelled.

…

Koyomiko now looked around her. She saw that she was in that little area where you take off your street shoes, and put on your school shoes.

She stood there, frozen. She wasn't sure just what she was supposed to do…

"Hi there, little girl." Koyomiko whipped around to see a teacher standing there. "What's your name?"

"K-k-Koyomiko." she managed to get out.

"I'm Naru-sensei. Please to meet you!" Naru said with a smile.

Koyomiko didn't know why, but this girl's smile was heartwarming, and kind. It was like her mother's smiles. They could always brighten up her down days.

"P-pleased to meet you." Koyomiko said.

"First day?" Naru asked.

Koyomiko nodded.

"Here, let's find your class together." Naru said. She held out a hand for Koyomiko to take.

Koyomiko looked at the hand for a moment, then looked back at the woman's face. It looked so pretty…so friendly…

Koyomiko took the hand.

And the two, after Koyomiko put her school shoes on, went to go and find Koyomiko's class.

…

Joe woke up that morning, and quickly got dressed.

Today was Nekosa's first day of home schooling.

But as he walked out of the bedroom, he met up with Sakaki.

"Well, have fun at work." Joe said. "Nekosa and I will be here all day."

Sakaki nodded. "…and, Joe?"

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to let you know…I really appreciate you doing this…even though Nekosa isn't really your daughter." Sakaki said, looking away, and blushing slightly.

Joe grinned. He put his hand on Sakaki's cheek, and moved her face and eyes so she was staring back at him.

"Even though Nekosa isn't my daughter, I still love her like a father would." Joe said.

Sakaki smiled. She just kept thinking to herself how the perfect guy had just landed himself right in her lap.

Sakaki moved in close, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him passionately.

Getting himself lost in the moment, Joe wrapped his arms around Sakaki's body, and returned the favor.

A moment of this went by before Sakaki pulled back.

"Thank you…for everything" Sakaki said in her calm composed tone.

Joe gave Sakaki one nod.

Sakaki headed out the door and off to work, Joe's eyes following her all the way out of the house.

Man, in high school, I never would have seen this happening to me, Joe thought.

Joe then proceeded to sit down on the couch in his living room, the books he had ordered stacked up in front of him on the table for Nekosa's schooling.

Joe opened up the textbook, studying it for a bit, before chuckling to himself.

"Morning, Otousan. What are you laughing at?" Nekosa asked as she walked in.

"Morning, Nekosa. heh...it's just that...I had to learn this stuff in second grade in English. Now reading it in Japanese...it almost makes me feel like I'm learning it all over again..." Joe said, laughing a little bit again.

Nekosa giggled a bit too.

"C'mon…" Joe said, closing the book and setting it back down on top of the stack. "I'll make you breakfast, then we can learn together."

So Joe made Nekosa a nice breakfast of pancakes and bacon.

After breakfast, the two sat down and began learning, spending some quality bonding time together.

…

Kagura and Kaorin went up to the school with Koharu.

Koharu was wearing the shirts that her mothers had picked out the previous days.

The undershirt was a pink long sleeve shirt. On top was a black short sleeve shirt, with flowers on both sides of a skull in the center of the shirt.

"OK, be nice, and don't pick on the boys too much, ok?" Kagura told Koharu.

"hehe…ok." Koharu said, still displaying something of a devilish grin.

As the three walked up to the school, Koharu immediately noticed that something was missing.

"Where's Nekosa-chan?" she asked.

"Ah…Sakaki-san said something about her being homeschooled…" Kaorin responded.

"Awwww…" Koharu responded, seeming downhearted.

"Well, she said it was only going to be for a year." Kaorin said, trying to lighten up the mood.

Kagura bent down to Koharu's level. "That'll give you enough time to tell these boys who's boss."

"Yeah!" Koharu responded with energy.

Kagura and Koharu first shared in a hug. Then Kaorin bent down and shared in her own hug with Koharu.

Then Koharu went onto the school grounds, and immediately noticed how many boys there were.

The devilish grin returned to her face.

"Fuuuuuuuuun…" Koharu said.

Both Kagura and Kaorin sweat-dropped, and laughed nervously.

"Oh, boy, I hope the principal is ready…" Kagura said, as she and Kaorin began walking off.

"If anything happens, I'm blaming you." Kaorin quickly responded.

"Hey, why me?!" Kagura shot back.

…

Author's notes: Not sure if preschools in Japan have that little area for their shoes or not.

Also, I don't believe Naru ever said what she was majoring in at Tokyo U. But I always imagined her as a teacher (when she wasn't being violent, that is) because she's got that smile that tells you "Everything's going to be ok"

And that devilish grin on Koharu's face…

Did anyone else get chills reading that?

Next Chapter: The end of an exodus


	85. The end of an exodus

The end of an exodus

…

"So, still gotta work?" Kagura asked.

"Yeah, I need to show my presentation to a board of directors stating that Venus just may be a more inhabitable planet than Mars." Kaorin responded.

"Oh…" Kagura responded, obviously not understanding a word of what Kaorin had just said.

Suddenly, music started playing (in English) out of nowhere, and it was deep rock music.

_This is your time to pay, this is your judgment day, we've made a sacrifice and now we get to take your life!_

"What is that?" Kagura asked.

"A theme song…" Kaorin said. "At least, that's what it sounds like…"

_We shoot without a gun, we'll take on anyone, it's really nothin' new, it's just a thing we like to do…_

And right on cue, that ever-famous car, the silver Toyota Corolla, with a bunch of dents and dings all in it, came screaming around the corner.

_You'd better get ready to die! (get ready to DIE!)_

Kagura and Kaorin watched the vehicle go screaming by.

The car came screaming by the school, as everybody jumped to wherever they believed the safest hiding place to be.

_You'd better get ready to kill! (get ready to KILL!_)

The silver car continued its exodus down the road, driving somewhere close to 100 miles an hour.

_You'd better get ready to run, cause here we come!_

_You'd better get ready to die (get ready to DIE!_)

"Man, I love that song!" Yukari yelled as she drove her way through the streets.

Yukari could not have been any happier that her parents' alarms hadn't gone off (because Yukari turned them off). Not only did her parents end up sleeping in, but Yukari had taken the vehicle, and was now driving through the streets of Tokyo.

Up ahead of her, the light turned red.

"Damn red lights…" Yukari mumbled. "You are forever the brakes on my car ride of fun…"

As Yukari came to a stop, another vehicle came to a stop next to her. From what Yukari could tell, it was a blue a BMW M3 E46 CSL. It sounded like it had been souped up, too.

Yukari turned off her CD player in her car, and listened to the purr of the vehicle next to her.

Yukari whined. Oh, how that vehicle sounded so much better than hers…

The man who was driving the vehicle looked over at Yukari's vehicle. He pulled his sunglasses down to look at the vehicle, then look at Yukari.

Yukari just looked back at him.

The man rolled his eyes, moving them back to the road, and put his sunglasses back up.

This ticked Yukari off. Obviously this guy thought that she was just another driver…

Yukari put her left foot on the brake, then used her right foot to rev the engine, indicating she wanted to race him.

The man looked over at Yukari, and smiled evilly. He also revved his engine, indicating 'sure, I'll race you'.

The opposing light turned yellow… Yukari grabbed her wheel tightly…

What Yukari didn't even notice was how conveniently empty the road was…

The opposing light turned red…

The man gripped his wheel tighter…

Green.

Both of them tore out of the sitting positions, both sets of wheels squealing as they did.

Yukari watched her speedometer hit over 60 within a few seconds…

Then again, it was normal for her to do so on a regular basis…

But this guy was keeping up!!

Yukari tried to gun it even more, only to realize that the pedal was already pressed to the floor.

Yukari watched her speedometer hit 100, and as it did, the other guy suddenly hit his breaks.

Yukari noticed this, and began to get excited. It was all in vain, however, as she noticed the police all set up on the roads leading off of the main road she was traveling down.

It was all too late. Yukari hit a spike strip that was set up by the police, and she hit it so hard that her car flipped into the air.

The only bit of luck that was on Yukari's side was that her car, after flipping a few times in the air, landed back on its now-popped wheels, almost as if it had never gone up in the air.

The man who had been driving the other car slowly pulled up, making sure to avoid the spike strip that had been placed on the road. He pulled up to Yukari's vehicle, and got out.

Yukari got her first look at the officer. He was about 5'11", and wore a brown leather U.S. Navy Pilot's jacket, with light brown cargo pants, with black work/hiking boots, and had a short, almost buzzed haircut. And as he took off his sunglasses, Yukari saw his hazel-colored eyes.

The other cops surrounded her car, weapons drawn. The man waved them off, and the officers put their guns down.

"YUKARI!!" she heard an officer announce on a bullhorn. "COME OUT OF THE CAR! YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!!"

_We'll see about that…_Yukari thought.

Yukari noticed that her car was off, even though she had never turned it off herself. So, she tried to restart it. She heard it make noise, but the car just wouldn't start.

The officer that had made Yukari run into the spike strip in the first place knocked on the driver's side door. Yukari rolled her window a crack, just enough so she could hear him.

"Good evening, Yukari…" The man said. "I'm Officer Stephan, but everybody calls me 'Iceman'." Iceman showed Yukari his badge. "And you are under arrest for reckless driving, endangering the public, speeding, and evading police."

"Screw you, pal!!" Yukari yelled, as she tried to start her vehicle again, and again she was unsuccessful.

"It ain't gonna work, Yukari. That spike strip also had a shocker in it. Your car won't start up for another half-hour." Iceman said, leaning up against the car, right behind the driver's door.

Yukari heard a tow truck coming, indicating that Iceman was telling the truth.

Yukari let go off the steering wheel, and leaned back in her seat.

"Well, at least you can't get to me in here…" Yukari said, grinning evilly.

"Yukari…" Iceman said, staring off into the sky. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. We could break into your car through the window, and rip you out of the car that way, or you could just come out of the car with your hands above your head."

Yukari looked outside of her car. One police officer already had a crowbar in both hands, and he looked anxious to use it.

Yukari began grumbling. She was caught, and she knew it.

Yukari unbuckled her seat belt, unlocked and opened the door, and calmly got out.

Iceman looked over at Yukari. She angrily slammed the door, and put her hands on the top of her car.

Iceman walked over, grabbed Yukari's hands, and put them behind her back.

"So, I can tell you aren't Japanese…" Yukari said angrily.

"Yeah, I just transferred over here from Canada." Iceman said, making sure to stay focused on his arrest.

"Ah, Canada…" Yukari said, smiling evilly as Iceman led her to a different police vehicle, the back door open. "Must be nice up there…..eh?"

Iceman smiled evilly. "Very funny, Yukari. I suppose that you didn't even think that my codename is the same as my Xbox Live Gamertag?"

Yukari looked back, shocked. "You're Iceman 12?!"

Iceman kept that evil smile on his face. "I suppose you'll keep up that story that you won?"

"I've course I won! No doubt about it!!" Yukari yelled angrily.

"Well…" Iceman said, as he put Yukari into the back of the police vehicle. "…I have those replay's saved down at the station that say otherwise. We'll make sure to have you watch them while you're in prison."

"You son of a b-!" Iceman slammed the door shut before Yukari could finish.

"Nice job Iceman…" Kotake said, walking up. "Although I would have busted her door in right away."

Kotake thumbed over to Yukari's vehicle, which was now being towed away.

"That's the difference between you and me." Iceman said grumpily (his face showing his anger). "I prefer to do things differently."

Iceman hated this. He had been assigned to be Kotake's partner when he transferred here, and they both hated each other's guts.

"Still not going to let me ride in your car, are you?" Kotake asked.

"No." Iceman said bluntly, looking Kotake straight in the eyes.

As both of them stared each other in the eyes, both of them got the same thought.

How the hell did I end up getting myself into this mess?

_He thinks this is over…_Yukari thought. _But just you wait, Iceman…just you wait…_

…

Meanwhile…

…

Osaka slowly walked herself to school. But she had to stop every few minutes to take a breather.

She felt so sick… but she had to get to school… she had to teach kids the important things in life now…

As she walked onto the school grounds, Nyamo noticed Osaka walking around with one arm wrapped around her own stomach.

"Osaka-san, are you ok?" Nyamo asked.

"I…feel sick…but…I have to teach…" Osaka wheezed out.

"My god, Osaka…" Nyamo sighed, putting the palm of her hand on her forehead. "Just…don't strain yourself."

"ok…" Osaka barely got out, as she continued to walk to her classroom.

Well, at least she's dedicated, unlike a certain other teacher…Nyamo thought.

…

Osaka stood in the front of her classroom at the pedestal.

"Ok…then…" Osaka wheezed out. "I'm…I'm gonna…take roll…call…."

Osaka set her attendance book on the pedestal.

Then Osaka's world began spinning…she couldn't focus anymore…

Osaka fell sideways to the ground, landing on her side. She felt horrible…

Her wheezing told the students that she was not actually lacking sleep, but rather was sick.

"Osaka-sensei!" one of the female students in the front screamed.

…

Miku, the school nurse, was informed of Osaka's condition. Miku reached the classroom and checked on Osaka.

It was at that point that Miku decided to send Osaka to the hospital.

…

Child-form Chiyo was sitting in the break room, having a (regular) soda.

One of the nurses came running in.

"Mihama-san!" the nurse said in a panicked tone. "Someone just came in the ER! They asked for you by name!"

Chiyo quickly put her soda down, and ran out of the break room. At times like this, Chiyo knew to never wait.

As she came into the ER, she immediately noticed precisely who had come in.

"Osaka-san!" Chiyo screamed out.

"Ch-Chiyo-chan…I feel….horrible…" Osaka moaned, her breathing sounded heavily. "I…feel like I'm gonna…"

Osaka covered her mouth. One of the nurses standing there grabbed a close-by bucket, and held it up.

Osaka turned her head, and immediately threw up into the bucket.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, let's have you checked up on…" Chiyo said, giggling nervously.

…

Author's notes: For those of you that know the song, it's "Ready to Die" by Andrew W.K.

Anyway, originally I was going to have Kotake make the entire arrest, but I had one huge problem:

Just how the heck was I supposed to get Yukari to run into the spike strip? Kotake wouldn't do anything like that.

And that's where Iceman came in.

But what's up with Osaka? Why is she puking her guts out?

Guess you'll have to read on and find out!

Next Chapter: Osaka's Surprises


	86. Osaka's surprises

Osaka's Surprises

…

Still that same day…

…

Nekosa was fast asleep in bed.

She had fallen asleep at about noon, and Joe had put her to bed.

Now, Joe was sitting in front of his computer typing for work.

Suddenly, the door unlocked.

Sakaki walked in the front door. And she looked disheartened.

"Hey, Tanaka, you're home early…" Joe said. His eyes remained on Sakaki. He could almost feel that something was wrong.

Sakaki walked up to him.

"I took a pregnancy test today…" Sakaki began.

"And?" Joe asked.

Sakaki shook her head.

Which meant they still had nothing.

…

Joe and Sakaki were now lying down in their bed next to each other.

"Figures…" Joe said "Teens have unwanted pregnancies all the time. We're trying, and we can't get anything at all!"

So now the two stared up at the ceiling, both of them wondering the exact same thing:

What the hell were they doing wrong?!

They had been trying for months now, and still no luck…

"Maybe…we're not doing it right…" Sakaki said, her eyes still fixated on the ceiling.

"heh…even if we weren't, how would we know? It's not like we can buy a book on that sort of thing…" Joe said with a smile. His eyes remained staring at the ceiling.

"What about the internet?" Sakaki asked.

"You'll probably end up getting a bunch of porn sites…" Joe said.

They both sighed.

After a moment, Joe suddenly had a thought. A thought to their current problem…

"I wonder if…maybe…I'm…um…'shooting blanks'…" Joe said nervously.

Sakaki knew this phrase from veterinary school, used when an animal was sterile.

It could also be me…Sakaki thought.

Joe looked over at Sakaki when he didn't get a response from this, and he saw that she was troubled.

"Well, you know, we could always have this sort of thing checked…" Joe pointed out.

Sakaki really didn't want to…having a doctor check that sort of thing was going to be really weird…but she really needed to know…

"Tanaka?" Joe asked.

"Let's…do it…" Sakaki said, almost having to push the words out of her mouth.

Joe nodded, grabbed the phone by their bedside, called up the hospital, and set up an appointment.

After hanging up the phone, he turned back to Sakaki.

"Well, lucky for us, they had a cancellation today. So we actually have an appointment set up for an hour from now…"

Sakaki still looked troubled, so he positioned himself right above her, and gave her a smile.

"Hey, don't worry about it. If something is wrong, science has found a way around that sort of thing."

Sakaki looked into his eyes, and smiled. He always knew how to make her feel better when she was feeling down.

"I love you…" Sakaki said.

Joe just smiled, and met her lips with a heartwarming kiss.

…

Arata was walking out of the shopping mall, wearing a big happy grin on his face.

But his cell phone ringing was about to make that big happy grin disappear.

"Hello?"

"Arata-san?" Chiyo asked.

"Ah! Mihama-san!" Arata said happily. "How did you get my cell phone number?"

"From Osaka-san…" Chiyo said, sounding worried. "She asked me to call you…"

"Wait…Why would she ask you to call me? Was she abducted?!" Arata asked in a panicked state.

"No, she wasn't abducted…" Chiyo said. "She's actually here, in the hospital…puking her guts out…"

Arata froze for a moment, before…

"I'll be there right away!"

Arata closed up his phone, and began running toward the hospital.

…

Chiyo, after running the tests on Osaka, had called up Arata, because Osaka had asked her to.

So now Chiyo was waiting for Arata, while Osaka continued to lie there in bed. The puking had stopped, but now she was sleeping.

…

10 minutes later

…

Arata came running into the waiting room, panting badly. The waiting room was a typical one you'd find in a hospital, with seats and magazines on the table next to them. And beyond that were toys for kids to play with.

Arata ran past all this, and went straight up to the receptionist. He waited for a few minutes, so he could catch his breath.

"I'm here to see Ayumu!" Arata said after that, looking extremely panicked.

The receptionist, who saw this sort of behavior every day at least 5 times, if not more, remained totally calm as she typed the information into the computer.

After reading the information on the computer, she made a call.

"Mihama-san?" the receptionist said into the phone. "Yes, there is a certain…"

The receptionist looked at Arata.

"Arata Hibiki!" Arata said.

"…Arata Hibiki, here to see Ayumu 'Osaka' Kasuga." The receptionist finished.

A bit of talking was heard on the other side of the phone.

"Ok, then, thank you, Mihama-san." The receptionist hung up the phone. She then pointed down the hall.

"She's that way, a few rooms down."

"Thank you!" Arata said, before quickly running off in that direction.

…

Joe and Sakaki had dropped Nekosa off at Sakaki's parents house, and had now come to the hospital for their appointment.

As they walked in the door, they noticed Arata suddenly go running off in the direction that the receptionist pointed in. And he looked panicked.

"What is he doing here?" Joe asked.

Sakaki shrugged her shoulders.

The two went walking up to the receptionist.

"Excuse me, but where was he headed?" Joe asked.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we cannot give out that information…" the receptionist said.

"But we're friends of his…and he looked panicked…"

The receptionist made another call to the doctor known as 'Mihama-san'

…

Arata came running up to Chiyo. And because of their tallness, both Joe and Sakaki ended up almost right behind him.

"Wow, Joe-san, Sakaki-san! What are you guys doing here?" Chiyo asked.

Both of them blushed in embarrassment.

"Um…well, that's…not really important. What's important is what happened to Osaka." Joe said.

"I won't know until the tests come back…" Chiyo said, looking back worriedly to Osaka.

As if almost timed to perfection, a nurse came up and handed Chiyo a portfolio with the name 'Osaka' written on it.

"Thank you…" Chiyo said to the nurse. The nurse walked away, and Chiyo opened up the folder.

Arata, Joe, and Sakaki remained quiet, although their hearts were beating with anticipation, and worry.

"So…" Arata said, breaking the silence. "What's wrong with Ayumu?"

Chiyo read on for a bit more. Then Chiyo turned to Arata and bowed.

"Congratulations, Arata." Chiyo said. "You're going to be a father."

The news took a moment for it to sink in, then it hit all three of them hard.

"OSAKA'S PREGNANT?!" Joe and Sakaki yelled, utterly surprised.

Arata was still in a stunned silence.

"I didn't even know you guys had done 'it' either, but the tests are showing Osaka-san to be pregnant!" Chiyo said with a smile, looking back at her portfolio.

Joe, Sakaki, and Arata had to look in at the still sleeping Osaka, but she seemed to be stirring.

"Ah, she's waking up! I'd better go tell her the news!" Chiyo said.

Before Chiyo could even take a step, the doors to the ER burst open.

And standing there was none other than Tomo Takino, still dressed in her ICPO uniform.

Joe ran every last curse word through his head.

"Did I hear that Osaka's pregnant?!" Tomo yelled in surprise.

"How the hell did you find out?!" Chiyo said in surprise.

"Chiyo, news like THAT spreads like wildfire." Tomo said, as she came walking up to the glass.

"Tomo-chan, just please, keep it down. This is a hospital…" Chiyo said in an almost commanding tone, before walking into Osaka's room.

"Jeez, she sounds like Yomi…" Tomo said, before also walking into the room.

As Joe and Sakaki were about to walk into the room, Arata stopped Joe.

"Joe-san, I need to ask you something." Arata said, looking concerned.

"Uh…sure, what's up?" Joe said, after Sakaki entered the room.

Arata reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small box that he had special ordered from the mall. He opened it up to reveal a very nice looking diamond ring.

Joe looked around the hospital to make sure no one else was paying attention.

"Um…Arata, despite what Tomo tells you, I'm really not into that sort of thing…" Joe said, turning back to Arata.

"It's for Ayumu. I was going to ask her to marry me…" Arata said, sounding a little worried.

Joe stared at the ring for a moment. He couldn't help but smile.

"heh….way to go." Joe said, still staring at that ring.

"But…I was wondering…what should I do?" Arata asked, sounding very concerned.

Joe put one hand on Arata's shoulder.

"Arata, you make it something Osaka will never forget. I want you to go in there in front of everybody, I want you to get down on one knee, bring that ring out, and ask her to marry you." Joe said, almost sounding as if he were giving a motivational speech.

Arata looked up at Joe, taking in all of this information, before looking back down at the ring.

"Ok!" Arata said, before closing the box, and putting it back into his pocket.

…

Osaka slowly opened her eyes. She still felt crappy, but at least she had stopped puking.

"Ah, Osaka-san!" Chiyo said, as she came walking into the room.

"Chiyo-chan…" Osaka said weakly, giving off an equally weak smile. Her eyes were still half-closed.

"I've got good news!" Chiyo said happily. "You're pregnant!"

"Yeah…" Osaka said dreamily. "I like dreams like this…"

"Oh, you ain't dreamin'!" Tomo said, as she came walking in, with Sakaki almost right behind her.

"Crap…this isn't a dream…it's a nightmare…" Osaka groaned.

Tomo began to laugh. Chiyo just sweat-dropped, knowing that Tomo had totally missed it.

"Osaka-san, you are fully awake. And you are pregnant." Chiyo said.

This took a minute to sink in to the still-sleepy Osaka.

"But…who's the father?" Osaka asked. "The only person I've ever had sex with was…"

"Arata-san, huh?" Tomo said, completely full of energy. "I didn't even know you guys were doing it!"

Sakaki blushed slightly at Tomo's comments, but looked up at Osaka anyway.

"Congratulations, Osaka-san." Sakaki said, giving her a smile.

"Thanks, Sakaki-san…" Osaka said, giving her a weak smile back.

Osaka looked at the three friends before her, before realizing that something wasn't right.

"Where's Arata?" Osaka asked weakly.

Chiyo looked, and noticed the same thing.

"I guess he's talking outside with Joe…" Sakaki said, who noticed that Joe was also gone.

Joe and Arata came walking in at that moment.

"Ah, Arata…" Osaka said weakly, but still sounding happy.

Joe came walking up to Sakaki, and winked at her. He had a big grin on his face.

Arata walked up to Osaka's bedside, a very serious look on his face.

"Arata?" Osaka asked.

Arata looked at Osaka for a moment. He then got down on one knee, pulled the box out of his pocket, and opened it up, revealing the ring inside.

"Ayumu Kasuga, will you…become my wife?" Arata asked. His eyes remained fixed on Osaka.

Osaka's eyes snapped fully open. She leaned up a bit, and took the ring out of the box to inspect it.

The diamond on the top sparkled in Osaka's eyes. But what really caught Osaka's sight was the text written on the inside of the ring.

'Ayumu and Arata forever.'

Osaka gave off a smile. A tear ran down her face.

For the first time (on her own), Osaka wasn't thinking about anything else but that ring she held in her hand.

Joe, Sakaki, and Chiyo, realizing Tomo just may do something to ruin the moment, quickly put Tomo in a chokehold, then put their hands over her mouth so she couldn't say anything.

Osaka put the ring on her finger, and stared at it for a moment more in happiness. She then turned to Arata, and nodded.

"Yes...Yes, I will." Osaka said.

Both Osaka and Arata felt nothing but pure joy at that moment.

The three holding Tomo decided that it was safe to let her go, so they did.

But as Osaka and Arata met with a kiss, Chiyo made a bit of a disgusted face.

"What?" Tomo asked.

"She's been puking all day…" Chiyo said.

Tomo, Joe, and Sakaki all looked back at the two kissing, and, realizing what Chiyo had just said, suddenly felt sick themselves.

Joe took a look at his watch.

"Holy crap, we're gonna be late, Tanaka!!" Joe yelled.

"Bye!" Sakaki said, as she ran out.

"Congrats to both of you!" Joe said to Osaka and Arata, as he ran out himself.

And Tomo, without Chiyo even realizing it, snuck out after them.

"Well, now that we know the cause, we can have you out of here in a few hours, Osaka." Chiyo said, after Osaka and Arata had stopped kissing.

"Thanks, Chiyo-chan." Osaka said, giving off a bit of a smile, before leaning back on her pillow, and falling asleep.

Arata just stared happily at Osaka.

Chiyo couldn't help but feel happy inside as she walked out of the room.

…

Later…

…

As Joe walked out of the 'inspection' room, he came face to face with his worst nightmare.

"So, how was it?" Tomo asked, displaying that big wildcat grin.

"None of your business…" Joe said grumpily, as he began walking out.

"I heard the nurses laughing at you…" Tomo said evilly.

In an instant, Joe had put her in a chokehold again.

"DAMN YOU, TAKINO!!!!"

…

Author's notes: OK, so I broke my promise about the 'tiny' jokes. But hey, we all know Tomo. She wouldn't let up for even a second if she found out a big secret like Joe's.

She never let up about Yomi's weight in the anime, did she?

And now, the most anticipated chapter of this saga.

Next Chapter: Nekosa's Second Donor Revealed


	87. Nekosa's second donor revealed

Nekosa's Second Donor Revealed

…

Later that day

…

Arata and Osaka would immediately go home, and Osaka would call into work sick.

Now, both Arata and Osaka were confused. They had only had sex once, and that was when Love Potion #9 covered their house. And that was supposed to protect against pregnancy.

Arata would immediately go onto the Internet, and make a bit of a startling discovery.

"Well…" he said to Osaka after coming back downstairs to the couch. "It seems that the company that made that book went bankrupt years ago when the stuff they printed in their books wasn't real."

Osaka sighed. "Figures…"

"Still…" Arata said with a smile. "It'll be nice to have one more in the house."

"Yeah, it will…" Osaka said dreamily, before falling asleep. All of that sickness had worn her out.

…

Joe and Sakaki picked Nekosa up from Sakaki's parent's house after 'having their tests taken'. Nekosa was walking next to Sakaki, holding her hand.

"So, how was it?" Nekosa asked. Since Nekosa had pretty much seen them, as they put it, 'making babies', they told Nekosa precisely why they were headed over to the doctors.

"Well, we don't know yet. They have to test it first…" Joe said.

"Oh…" Nekosa responded.

And all this time, Sakaki had an embarrassed blush on her face.

While they were walking home, the three were completely silent.

Nekosa was just naturally being silent. Sakaki was embarrassed by the fact that her child already knew so much of the adult world.

Joe, however, was silent for another reason.

He almost felt like they were being watched.

…

As they started crossing through a park, Joe stopped, which caused Sakaki and Nekosa to also stop.

"You guys feel like we're being watched?" he asked.

"So, the pathetic human follows his gut feelings…"

A woman jumped out of the tree that was in the park, and landed right in front of them.

And the three of them got the first look at this woman.

She either looked like Sakaki with the cat-like features of Nekosa, or she could have been a grown-up Nekosa.

Except for two things. One was the fact that her hands were not covered in fur.

And two…the look of pure malice in her eyes.

"And just who the hell are you?!" Joe yelled out angrily. He immediately got into a fighter's stance.

The woman grinned. Her grin was so evil, it send a cold blast of air anywhere it could be seen.

"I am Nekoyasha Azami." the woman replied. "And Nekosa belongs to me."

"What?!" Both Joe and Sakaki said at the same time, the sound of utter shock in both of their voices.

"You pathetic weak-minded fools!" Azami said. "Don't you see the resemblance? I am Nekosa's second blood donor!"

This news hit Sakaki like a ton of bricks.

Joe, however, was not impressed.

"I don't believe you." Joe said. "How could you be Nekosa's second donor? We were told that Nekosa's only donor was Tanaka!"

"Fool!!" Azami replied, almost sounding angry. "Cloning is illegal in the U.S.! However, creating a new being from TWO sources of DNA is perfectly legal. So I was picked as the second donor."

_So, this explains Nekosa's cat-like features..._Joe thought.

"Nekosa, come with me, your true mother. This woman is not your mother, look at her!" Azami said, pointing at Sakaki. "She bares no resemblance to you! I do!! You are my child, now join me!"

Nekosa stood frozen, her hand still holding on to Sakaki. This news had hit her like it had Sakaki. She couldn't believe that she actually had a second mother…

_No, she's not my mother…_ Nekosa thought.

Nekosa's face became determined.

"You are not my mother…" Nekosa said, almost angrily.

"Hm!" Azami said, her evil smile returning. "You look past the similarities between us, and still believe that this woman is your mother?"

"She is not a woman, she's my Okaasan!!" Nekosa yelled angrily. "Mom's are supposed to be loving, caring, give you hugs, and she does!!"

Nekosa let go of Sakaki's hand, and wrapped her arms around Sakaki'waist.

"I'll never go with you!" Nekosa yelled.

She then proceeded to close her eyes, and stick her tongue out.

You could see the rage boil within Azami.

This, of course, caused Joe to grin.

"Well, you heard her…" Joe said.

"Oh, I heard her!!" Azami said angrily. "She asks that I take her…BY FORCE!!"

Azami jumped forward and slashed at Joe.

The slice was so close, it sliced his shirt.

Joe looked at his shirt, then at Azami's hands. Though the fur was lost, she still had cat-claws, and they were sharp.

"Nice reflexes…" Azami commented. "But they will not save you!"

"You meanie!!" Nekosa yelled.

Azami's head whipped, and she stared straight at Nekosa.

"What…did you…call me?!" Azami asked angrily.

WHAM!!

Nekosa had provided the distraction. Joe had seen the opportunity, and had punched Azami straight in the face.

Azami had one hand on her face, and was now staring bitterly at Joe.

Azami could feel her rage boiling even more…never had she been losing so badly before…

Azami let go of her face, and charged Joe, claws extended.

What ensued next was slice after slice at Joe, who just barely managed to dodge each one, and would jump back.

The way she sliced at him also left her fully defended, which meant Joe couldn't mount a counter-offensive.

Then Azami sliced upwards. Joe jumped back, and the slice missed.

But as he landed, he lost his balance, and stumbled backwards.

This was all it took. Azami now took that same hand, and sliced downwards.

The claws came raking down on Joe's face.

Joe grabbed his face, and screamed out in pain.

Nekosa let go of Sakaki's leg, and went running right past Azami, and right up to Joe.

"Otousan, are you ok?!"

"And now you will pay for your disrespectful comments!" Azami yelled, as she raised her hand into the air, claw tips sparkling in the air.

Nekosa realized all too late that she had run herself into danger, and now she was gonna have her face raked down like Joe had.

Nekosa stood there, frightened…

WHAM!!

Azami had no time to react. A fist came flying out of nowhere, and hit her square in the face.

Then a knee came up, and hit her square in the stomach, causing her to lose her breath.

The two hands formed together, came up swinging, and hit her in the face again.

Azami fell backwards, clutching her own face with her hands, her eyes closed in pain.

She opened them to see that the attacker was none other than Sakaki.

"Back…away…from my daughter!!" Sakaki said angrily.

Azami stood up, prepared for another possible assault from this woman.

"She is only your daughter by blood. She was not born of you!" Azami shot back.

"And she wasn't of you, either!!" Sakaki yelled.

Azami smiled, and let go of her face. "True…however, she is more like me than you."

Sakaki stared angrily back at Azami.

Azami readied up to attack again, but then she heard police sirens, and they were headed in this direction.

Azami decided that it would be best to retreat for now.

"Don't think this is the end…" Azami said. "I WILL have Nekosa!"

And with that, Azami turned around and ran off, her cat part speeding up her running.

Sakaki watched her run off.

_Good riddance_…Sakaki thought.

"Otousan!! Does it hurt?!" Nekosa's voice snapped Sakaki out of her gaze. She quickly ran over to the kneeling Joe and Nekosa. Joe was still covering his face with both hands.

"Joe!" Sakaki yelled, grabbing Joe's attention. "Let me see…"

Joe let go of his face, and Sakaki gasped. Blood was almost covering his face completely. His hands were already soaked in his own blood. Whatever damage those claws had caused, they had caused them deeply.

"Tanaka…I feel…lightheaded…" Joe moaned.

"Cover your face again…" Sakaki said. Joe did so, and Sakaki stood him up.

"Is Otousan gonna be ok?" Nekosa asked.

"He'll be fine…" Sakaki reassured her, as the three headed home, Joe's hands on his face.

Azami watched them walk off for a moment, before dashing off herself.

…

Azami returned to her old home. It had been the same home she had lived all those years ago, until she was forced to move out of it.

She looked at that one part of her wall. The part where her pet cat would always sit.

Oh, how she had loved those years. All those cats she had tested, tortured, killed…

Even her own pet had been a part of those experiments.

She walked up to her house, and found the door strangly unlocked. She opened the door, and was immediately greeted by a surprise visitor.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing here?!" Laharl yelled, standing straight up. He had been on his laptop.

"I used to live here!" Azami replied angrily. "What are you doing here?!"

"I am planning my revenge against a bunch of girls and their husbands!" Laharl shot back.

"Wait, does one of these girls just happen to have a daughter that looks like me, only younger?" Azami asked.

"Actually, yeah, they do…" Laharl said.

Azami smiled. This was too good to be true…

"You and I…we could help each other" Azami said.

"How so?" Laharl asked, still on guard.

"I am seeking that little girl that looks like me. I help you get your revenge on those girls, and I get the girl I'm looking for." Azami responded.

Azami held out her hand.

Laharl looked at it for a moment. He was thinking, contemplating…

He smiled, and grabbed hold of the hand. And the two shook.

"Now, I just need to use your computer to contact my husband." Azami said.

Laharl sidestepped to let Azami to his laptop that he had been using a few minutes earlier.

Azami logged in to YIM, and began typing.

"And now, we'll be getting a new weapon ourselves…to help against these girls" Azami said, still staring at the computer screen.

"hmhmhmhmhm…" Laharl chuckled. "Perfect"

…

Meanwhile, at Sakaki's house

…

Joe's blood had dripped all the way home, and as they reached their house, they had had Joe take off his shirt, and put it on his face to keep the blood from dripping onto the carpet.

Sakaki immediately took Joe to the bathroom, while Nekosa watched from the doorway.

Sakaki began cleaning off Joe's face and hands of all the blood.

Joe's shirt now lay between Joe and Nekosa. It was soaked completely through with blood.

Nekosa couldn't help but feel worried. She had never seen anyone in her family with something that bad before.

As Sakaki cleaned his face, she saw how the claws had raked. They had raked slightly sideways, but downward across his face (luckily, no claws had raked his eyes) There were two slices on the left side of his face, one down the center of his face (coming across his nose) and one on the right side. And although they weren't terribly deep, they were deep enough.

Sakaki grabbed the alcohol, and put a bit on a cotton swab. As she touched one scratch, Joe horribly flinched.

"I'm sorry, but it has to be done" Sakaki said quietly.

"I know, It's just…it burns" Joe said.

Sakaki grabbed one of Joe's hands, held it tightly, and then began applying alcohol onto his scratches once more.

She could feel him squeezing her hand for comfort as she did this.

After a few moments of doing this, she finally had all the wounds clean. Now she applied bandages to them quickly before they could bleed again. Wrapping bandages had to be used for this, so she wrapped them carefully around her head.

As she finished, Joe looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, and had to laugh.

"I look like I've been through a war…" he said.

Sakaki let go of Joe's hand, and opened and closed it a few times. He had gripped her hand pretty tightly at some points.

"Oh, sorry…" Joe said as he noticed Sakaki doing this action.

"It's fine." Sakaki said, as she grabbed his hand once more. "I'm just glad you're ok."

Nekosa came running into the bathroom at this point, and wrapped herself around the leg of Joe. She had tears running down her face.

"Okaasan, Otousan, don't let her take me away." Nekosa said, sounding afraid. "I don't like her. She sounds…mean."

Joe made Nekosa let go. He then bent down, and gave her a close hug.

"We promise" Joe said.

Sakaki bent down as well, and gave them both a hug.

But she had a bad feeling in her gut. Almost as if something was going to go horribly wrong…

…

Later that night, Joe would take off the bandages, and get a good look at himself with the scratches across his face.

_I pray these don't scar…_ Joe thought.

…

Author's notes: So, there you have it. Azami's the cat-woman who gave Nekosa her cat-like features.

And now she's teamed up with Laharl. Things are most definitely not looking good.

Special thanks to Funari and IcemanX for helping me brainstorm for first names for Azami.

Next Chapter: The New Azu-child


	88. The New Azuchild

The New Azu-child

Note: Chapter rated 'M' for strong violence

…

Now we rewind a bit, to find out what happened with a few others that same day…

…

Both Tomo and Yomi had come to pick up Koyomiko from preschool. Tomo had somehow managed to get out of work…

…

"Where the hell is Takino?!" her boss screamed, as she looked at Tomo's desk, filled with undone paperwork.

…

Koyomiko came running out of the school. The way she was running, you would have thought that the school was on fire.

"Mama!! Kaa-san!!" Koyomiko acted like she had been in the school for years without ever going home.

She ran up to Yomi, and gave her a hug around the waist. She then ran over to Tomo, and gave here a hug around the waist as well.

…

Tomo, Yomi, and Koyomiko were now walking home, Koyomiko holding on to both of her mother's hands.

"Mama, Kaa-san, I missed you a lot while I was at school." Koyomiko said.

"We missed you, too, Koyomiko." Yomi responded in a heartfelt tone.

"So, other than that, how was your first day?" Tomo asked.

"It was fun!" Koyomiko said happily. "We drew and we colored and had lots of fun! My teacher says I'm a good drawer!!"

"Can't argue with that…" Yomi answered.

"Nope, sure can't!" Tomo declared, obviously full of energy.

"Yeah!" Koyomiko declared with the same energy as her Mama.

…

Meanwhile, back in the US, in a place known only as Nowhere, Oklahoma

…

(Begin English)

A little girl was packing stuff into a bag in her room.

The little girl was 5 years old, had brown hair, and brown eyes. Her hair was cut in the back, but more untamed in the front. Her arms were not built, but they did have some muscle to them. And beyond the eyes, deep within her soul, lay the soul of both a fighter and a wonderer.

Her name is Pan. She had found out only a year ago that she was actually adopted from a corporation that was making children. Although she had fallen apart emotionally for a few days, she had found new hope when her adopted parents said that they would take her to see her biological parents. She had already been informed of the situation as well. She had been born in a test-tube, with her biological parents having no knowledge of her existence. She had no idea how her parents would take it, but either way, she desperately wanted to meet them.

Pan was packing her things to head over to Japan. Both of her adopted parents had been teaching her Japanese from the time she was born, because they knew one day their adopted daughter would want to meet them.

"So, all ready to go?" Her mother asked, peeking in on Pan. Her mother had long blonde hair, and big blue eyes.

"uh-huh!" Pan said quietly, though she was obviously excited. "Just…a few more things, Mom."

Pan packed the final thing in her luggage, a notebook. Then she reached up onto her bed, and pulled off a teddy bear, and hugged it tightly.

This was going to be exciting for her.

The doorbell rang, grabbing Pan's attention.

She ran out of her room, (which was the only room upstairs), and sat down on the stairs, with her mother and father already in the living room that was right by the stairs.

To describe Pan's father, he was a built man, though he wasn't well built. He had brown hair and brown eyes, which is why Pan never knew she was adopted until her parents told her.

Pan's adoptive father got up from the couch, and answered the door.

And standing there was a female samurai with white hair. She wore the typical wardrobe of a samurai (the white yukata, with a katana sheathed at her waist). She had big blue eyes that were fogged over slightly, revealing her only weakness.

"Can I help you?" The father asked.

"Yes, my name is Yukishiro" The woman said. "I'm looking for a Pan"

"And why are you looking for Pan?" The father asked.

"Because I intend to kill her" Yukishiro said, in a very cold tone that sent chills up Pan's adoptive father's spine.

Her father slammed the door shut, then looked up at the stairs to see Pan sitting there.

"Pan, I want you to…"

A sword suddenly came through the door, and went straight through her father's chest, and came out of his back.

Pan's mother let out a scream. Pan was too shocked to do anything.

The sword retracted from which it came, causing Pan's father to fall to the floor, the wound now beginning to stain his shirt red. A few more quick slices and the door fell to pieces in front of the samurai.

"PAN, RUN!!!" her mother yelled.

Pan was still frozen, staring at her father's body that lay by the door, bleeding profusely.

The samurai stepped over the body, and slowly began walking towards the stairs where Pan sat.

Her mother quickly tried running at the samurai, only to get knocked back when the samurai swung her sword, and a strange energy pushed her back.

"I haven't come to kill you, I have come to kill the child" the samurai replied coldly.

"I will not let you kill her! She is my child!" the mother replied angrily, standing back up.

The samurai swung her sword again, causing energy to come off of it again, and knocking the woman on her back once more. The samurai then jumped up in the air, and came down, slamming her sword through the chest of the woman.

"She is not your child…" the samurai replied in that same cold tone.

Tears ran down Pan's face, as she scrambled up the stairs, ran to her room, slammed the door shut, and locked it.

She then grabbed her teddy bear, and ran over to the furthest wall, and curled up with it, crying.

"Why? Why would s-someone d-do that to m-my Mom and Dad?" Pan cried. She hugged her teddy bear for comfort.

She heard that samurai coming up the stairs. Pan's heartbeat began to pick up.

A few seconds passed. To Pan, who was scared for her life, these few seconds seemed like hours.

The samurai tried the door handle. Pan's heart began racing even faster.

Then the samurai let go off the door handle. Pan's heart slowed down. At least the samurai couldn't get in…

SHRING!!

The samurai made one quick slice through the door, then kicked it in, effectively turning what had been a single door into a double.

Pan's eyes went wide, and she began breathing heavily. She was now terrified as the killer slowly began moving in on her.

Pan saw the katana in the killer's hands, the end still covered in blood.

Her hug on the teddy bear became tighter as the samurai came in closer…and closer…

The samurai now stood only a few feet from the terrified, curled up Pan.

"Foolish child…" The samurai said in her cold tone.

Pan remained unresponsive. The terror had full grip on her…

The samurai raised her sword into the air…

This was it, and Pan knew it. The final seconds of her life.

In her last fleeting attempt, as if someone could possibly save her at this moment, Pan cried out.

"SAVE ME!!!!"

The sword came slicing down…

(End English)

…

(A close up of Koyomiko's face)

Koyomiko stopped like she had heard something. Her eyes glowed for a second, and she suddenly passed out.

(Zoom way back)

"Koyomiko!" both Yomi and Tomo cried out as Koyomiko fell backwards.

…

The teddy bear fell to the floor, cleanly sliced in half.

The samurai knew something was wrong. When she killed someone, even if the person was killed instantly, the blue life energy that she saw would slowly fade out to black.

But this energy had simply…vanished.

She felt around, but couldn't find any sort of body.

Which confirmed her beliefs…

…

But almost as instantly as she had fallen unconscious, Koyomiko woke up.

"Mama? Kaa-san?" Koyomiko said, as if she had just woken up from a nap. She suddenly snapped awake.

"I heard someone cry out for help!" Koyomiko said in a panicked state.

"Huh? We didn't hear anyone…" Tomo responded in a confused tone.

"Are you ok, Koyomiko?" Yomi asked.

"I'm…fine…" Koyomiko said, as she stood up. But as she stood up, she noticed something.

A few feet away from them was a child. A child with brown hair…

"Mama! Kaa-san!" Koyomiko cried, as she ran over to the girl.

The girl was lying on her back on the sidewalk, her eyes closed.

"Was that girl there before?" Tomo asked in a still-confused state.

"I don't know, but we'd better get her to the hospital!" Yomi responded.

Pan's eyes opened a little. All she saw was the face of Koyomiko.

She blushed a bit at the face, before passing out.

…

(Begin English)

Her name was Yukishiro. She had been the first of all the experiments into Genetic Fusion.

She was now reaching her 17th birthday. Her DNA was composed of all of the Azu-girls, though she didn't know it. Her eyes were that of Osaka's, her hair was that of Yomi's (though Yukishiro's hair color was white), she had the energy level of Tomo (but could control it), the brainpower of Chiyo, the muscle power of Kagura, and her face was like that of Sakaki.

Despite all of this, the only reason she had been considered a failure was the fact that she was totally blind.

Until, of course, she met up with one of the scientists who worked for the lab. He gave her to a master of Sword Arts to train. Through him, she learned how to 'see' life energy. All human bodies now glowed blue in her eyesight. It was just as good as seeing.

But the scientist had been fired from the corporation during that time, so he asked Yukishiro to destroy the lab and corporation for which he had originally worked for. And she did with quick and amazing efficiency. She had even searched out and hunted the scientists that had been off work that day, and had killed them as well.

Now step two was in motion. Search out and eliminate all other children that had been a part of the corporation.

But Yukishiro had failed to do so. The child had suddenly vanished right in front of her. She wasn't sure how it had been done, but she knew there was going to be punishment for her failure.

She walked into the house. Nobody was home.

The living room looked like any ordinary American living room, but this one lacked, for a better word, possessions. All it had in it was a couch, a TV (which was set up not far from the couch), and a bookshelf on the opposite wall.

Yukishiro walked over to the bookcase, and felt the brail writing on the shelves.

Then she came across the book that she was looking for.

"Evil has no limits"

She pulled the book out.

The entire bookcase moved over, revealing a secret staircase behind it. She entered, and the bookcase moved back, covering it.

She walked down the stairs, and into the secret room. It was filled with technological computers all around it. But through all of this sat one man in a computer chair, staring at a large computer screen.

To describe the man, he looked like a typical mad scientist. The glasses that reflected light so that you could never see his eyes, gray hair, lab coat always on (typical Anime mad scientist).

Yukishiro walked up behind the man, and got down on one knee, bowing her head.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I have failed." She replied. "The child suddenly vanished before me."

"Though you may have failed in one aspect, Yukishiro, you have succeeded in another." The man replied, an evil smile on his face.

"Sir?" Yukishiro said in a confused tone, looking up.

"We have found one other…" the man said, standing up and turning to Yukishiro. "Koyomiko."

Yukishiro stood up.

"She was the reason that child disappeared." The man began to explain. "Koyomiko was research into teleportation. Her mothers are composed of two people. One of them needed to have knowledge and a serious concern with weight and body mass. The other…well, transporting anything requires vast amounts of energy. That's where the other one came in."

"I see…" Yukishiro responded. "So, why was she considered a failure?"

"She couldn't teleport anything." The scientist replied. "Until now, apparently…"

"So, this…Koyomiko…is the reason that girl disappeared." Yukishiro said, the pieces of the puzzle finally beginning to click inside of her head.

"Yes, and because she gave off vast amounts of energy to do so, we were able to find her location…" the scientist replied. "Tokyo, Japan"

"I shall leave immediately," Yukishiro said, bowing, as she turned to leave.

"Wait!" the scientist said, causing Yukishiro to freeze on the spot. "Meet up with my wife there. She has gone in search of her daughter."

"I shall" Yukishiro said, her cold tone returning to her.

"You'll be able to recognize her by her energy…" the scientist said. "Her energy reads out like that of a cat's. She has also met up with someone else to help her."

"Understood" Yukishiro said, before continuing her leave.

Yukishiro exited the secret lab, made a stop in her room for some money the scientist had given her in case something like this would happen, and began her trek towards Japan.

This would be difficult, but she wouldn't stop until all those that were connected to that evil corporation were finished off.

…

"What a nice weapon she has become…" the man said with an evil chuckle. "And once my wife comes back with my daughter, we can build our own corporation, and begin making all kinds of cat-people!"

The scientist laughed loudly and evilly.

(End English)

…

BEEP.

Pan could hear it, from the total darkness…

BEEP.

Pan opened her eyes. She was staring at the ceiling.

BEEP.

Pan realized that it was a heart monitor. She was in a hospital.

But…this wasn't any hospital she had noticed from her hometown…

Two nurses walked by, and she heard them speaking.

And they weren't speaking English.

Wait, were they speaking…Japanese?

It all came flooding back to Pan.

The samurai, her parents getting killed…

Tears came to Pan's eyes as she remembered it all.

Then all she remembered was that girl's face…

Pan blushed as she remembered that face.

She heard more people talking outside. One sounded like a child's voice, and they sounded like they were headed into this room.

Pan began panicking.

…

"I just need to wait until the DNA tests come back, and then we'll know who she belongs to." Chiyo said. Yomi, Tomo, and Koyomiko were walking with Chiyo about half an hour after finding the child and getting her to the hospital.

"So, how is she?" Koyomiko asked.

"She's fine. Although I'm a little concerned that there was nobody else around her." Chiyo said, sounding a little worried at the end.

As the three walked into the room, they noticed the unmade empty bed.

"She escaped!!" Tomo yelled.

"Not quite…" Chiyo said.

BEEP.

All four of them noticed that the heart monitor was still going, meaning it still had to be connected to her.

Following the cord with their eyes, they followed it to…under the bed.

All four of them walked into the room, and looked under the bed.

She looked at them with a very scared look in her eyes. She was curled up as close to the center of the bed as possible.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Chiyo asked.

The girl didn't respond.

"She looks really frightened. I wonder what happened." Tomo said.

Koyomiko decided to take action. She got down on her stomach, and started crawling under the bed.

"Koyomiko!" Yomi said.

"Don't worry, Kaa-san. I just wanna talk to her." Koyomiko said, before continuing to crawl under the bed.

The little girl began blushing, and her look turned to one of slight shock instead.

"Hi, I'm Koyomiko!" Koyomiko said in a cheerful tone.

Pan definitely recognized the language as Japanese now.

"H-hi" Pan said. "I-I'm Pan."

"Pan, huh?" Koyomiko said. "That's a nice name."

Pan's stomach let off a growl, making Pan blush even brighter.

"Sounds like she's hungry…" Yomi said.

"I'll go get her something. You guys keep her here." Chiyo said.

"I hope she likes hospital food," Tomo said with a slightly worried tone.

…

As Chiyo was making her way back with some sandwiches, a nurse stopped her.

"Mihama-san, this is the girl's DNA readout, with the two parents indicated in there as well..." She said, holding out the folder. "…and I think you need to see this."

The nurse, realizing that Chiyo's hands were full with the tray of sandwiches, instead opened the folder for her.

Chiyo's eyes went wide, and she dropped the tray.

"Kagura…and OSAKA?!"

…

Author's notes: From what I managed to find, Yukishiro's name is actually a mix of 'Yuki' meaning 'snow', and 'shiro' meaning 'white'

So, in a sense, her name is 'Snow White'

Maybe it would be funnier if she wasn't a cold-blooded murderer.

Anyway, special thanks to Radioliar for allowing me to use her own Azu-child, Pan.

And yes, Pan is the daughter of Kagura and Osaka.

hehe…but by now, I bet you guys are wondering just what I'm going to do, seeing as how Osaka is with Arata, and Kagura is with Kaorin.

Well, just read on and find out!!

Next Chapter: Meet the Parents


	89. Meet the Parents

Meet the Parents

Meet the Parents

…

After grabbing some new sandwiches, Chiyo entered Pan's hospital room. Tomo and Yomi turned their heads to see who entered

"Ah, you came back." Yomi said. "They've been really talking it up."

Tomo was still watching underneath the bed.

Koyomiko was talking all about her likes, dislikes, interests, etc.

Pan just seemed to be listening.

Pan's stomach let off another growl.

"Koyomiko, I brought some sandwiches for her. Tomo-chan, Yomi-san, I need to talk to you outside." Chiyo said.

Normally, Koyomiko would have wanted to be involved with her parents and their 'grown-up talk'. Except that she was seriously enjoying talking to her new friend.

Chiyo set down the tray on the bed. Chiyo, Yomi, and Tomo left the room.

"OK, the parents left the room." Koyomiko said, looking back. She then looked back to Pan. "Hey, let's eat those sandwiches that Chiyo-san left behind!"

Koyomiko quickly pulled herself out from underneath the bed, and made sure that the parents were just outside the room, and no further. Pan remained where she was.

Koyomiko looked back down underneath the bed. "Aren't you coming?"

Pan hesitated. Her stomach let off a much louder growl.

And very slowly, Pan moved herself out from underneath the bed.

"There we go!" Koyomiko said, as Pan sat down on the bed.

Pan looked at the tray of sandwiches, and picked one out. She took a little nibble of it.

"This…is good…" Pan said, and started eating more of it.

Koyomiko took a little bit of it off the end, and tasted it.

"The melon bread…" she noted. "Hey, that's what we'll call you! Melon!"

"Huh? Melon?" Pan asked.

"Yeah! You picked the Melon bread, so we'll call you Melon!" Koyomiko announced.

_And just because of the bread on the sandwich I picked, my name became Melon_, Pan thought.

_Bleh Desu!!_

…

"Her name is Pan. She's the daughter of Kagura and Osaka." Chiyo said.

"Kagura and Osaka?!" Both Yomi and Tomo said in utter shock.

"Yes. Although her listed address is Nowhere, Oklahoma." Chiyo said.

Tomo burst out laughing.

"Now…you can…be…in the…middle of…nowhere!!" Tomo said between laughs and gasps for air.

"Tomo, this is serious." Yomi said.

"Very." Chiyo continued. "I looked up her record, and it shows no record of her ever taking a plane, boat, or any sort of transportation over here."

"So…" Yomi asked. "How did she get over here?"

"I'm not sure…" Chiyo said, thinking very hard. "But…I think we should at least tell Kagura and Osaka."

"Definitely. They need to know something like this." Yomi said.

"Agreed." Tomo said. "Man, Kaorin's gonna freak!"

"Yeah. Don't know how Arata's gonna take this either…" Yomi said.

"I think Arata would be accepting of a child of Osaka's, considering Osaka would have been accepting of any kids Arata would have had." Chiyo said. "It really is Kaorin that I'm worried about."

"Good point…" Yomi said, staring at the ceiling. "She already lost Sakaki. I can't imagine her reaction to a possibility of losing Kagura."

The three adults looked inside at Pan, who was eating the sandwiches that Chiyo had brought.

"This is not going to go well." Chiyo said.

Chiyo looked back at Tomo and Yomi, who looked back at her.

"I want you two to stay out here. I'm going to go check on her, then set her out for release. I think you guys should be the ones to break the news." Chiyo said.

"But why us?!" Tomo yelled, sounding agitated.

"Because you found her, I think it be best that you do it. Plus…" Chiyo looked back inside the room, but this time with a smile. "…she's taken a liking to Koyomiko, it seems."

Yomi and Tomo looked into the room, and sighed. It really did show, seeing as how the two were eating sandwiches together.

And they could definitely see a smile on the little girl's face (along with a slight blush)

"Wait." Yomi said suddenly. "Wouldn't Koharu be getting out of school right about now?"

"Yeah!" Tomo piped in. "We could just call her up, and have her come here and pick her up!"

"Well, we know that Osaka's gonna be home, at least…" Chiyo said as she pulled out her cell phone.

"I still find that unbelievable…" Yomi said, indicating that Tomo had already told her about Osaka being pregnant.

The sad thing was, Osaka had gotten out of the hospital only a few hours earlier.

…

Koharu came walking out of the school, looking like she had a good day. All of the boys scattered as she walked by.

Walking next to her was Ami Handelbarz.

As they reached the outer part of school, Ami and Koharu split up.

"See ya later, Ami!" Koharu yelled, as she began walking out in the opposite direction.

Kagura came walking up, and met with Koharu.

"Hey, Koharu…" Kagura said. "So, how was school?"

"Oh, I've gotta a story to tell you!" Koharu said, as she and Kagura started walking home.

…

Flashback to Lunch

…

Koharu opened up her lunch.

Inside on the left was rice (sitting on top of it was an umboshi) and to the right was what looked to be cut up pieces of different kinds of meat, including fish, chicken, and beef.

What had immediately caught her eye was a taiyaki as the desert.

_I bet Kaori-kaa-san made the lunch, and Natsuko-mama got the taiyaki in there…_Koharu thought.

Koharu said "Itadakimasu!" and snapped her chopsticks.

But before Koharu could dig in, she suddenly heard yelling, and crying.

"C'mon!! Let me up!!" she heard.

Koharu turned to see Ami at the bottom of the tree, with three guys up in the tree.

"No! Go away!!" One of the guys yelled.

Koharu closed up her lunch, and put it down on her seat. She then proceeded to walk over to the tree, and grab the trunk.

And with her abnormal human strength, she shook the base of the tree.

The top of the tree shook like it was in an earthquake, and the three guys fell out of the tree.

"Hey, what are you guys picking on her for?!" Koharu yelled.

The three guys instantly stood up, and began backing away.

"Stay away, you…girl!! You've got cooties!!" The leader seemed to yell.

"Ha!! Cooties?! Cooties are just a lame excuse for guys not to touch girls, because they know we can kick the crap out of 'em!!" Koharu retorted.

"N-n-no it's not!!" The leader yelled.

"Wanna bet?" Koharu asked, punching her empty hand with her fist.

…

End Flashback

…

"And then what happened?" Kagura asked.

"They ran away, and Ami and I became friends." Koharu said.

"Heh…cooties. I thought those had died out long ago…" Kagura said.

"The teacher said those boys are the only three in the entire school who believe in that stuff…" Koharu said.

"The teacher?" Kagura asked.

"Oh, the teacher they told. She just took them inside, and talked with me, and Ami backed me up when we said they were scared of us because of our 'cooties'" Koharu responded.

Kagura breathed a deep sigh of relief. So, Koharu didn't end up in trouble the first day…

Kagura's cell phone went off.

"Hello?" Kagura answered.

"Kagura? Is Kaorin there?" Chiyo asked.

"Uh…no." Kagura said. "You could try her on her cell phone…"

"Kagura, we need you to come to the hospital right away…" Chiyo said.

"Why?" Kagura asked.

"Because…" Chiyo began. She paused for a moment. "…It's…another child from that corporation."

"Oh." Kagura said. "Well, ok, I'll be there right away!"

and Kagura hung up her cell phone.

"Hey, Koharu, guess what?" Kagura said with a bit of energy. "You have a sister!"

"Huh?!" Koharu said in surprise and shock.

…

Kagura walked into the hospital, with Koharu holding on to her hand.

Now, it should be explained at this point that Kagura thought that the girl Chiyo had been talking about was possibly another girl made by her and Kaorin's DNA (aka something like another Koharu). And she was about to receive a really big surprise.

"Hey, Chiyo!" Kagura yelled as she saw her in the hall, and came walking up to her.

"SHHHHH!!" Chiyo hissed. "This is a hospital!!"

"Oh, sorry." Kagura whispered back.

Standing with Chiyo were Tomo and Yomi.

"So, where's the kid?" Kagura asked, in something of an excited tone.

Chiyo, Tomo, and Yomi all turned their gaze to inside the hospital room, where Koyomiko and that little girl were still talking.

"So, that's her, huh?" Kagura asked, looking into the room.

Koharu walked right past the adults, and stood right in the doorway, staring at the girl.

At first, Koharu was kind of mad. Somehow, she just couldn't imagine having to share the love of her parents with someone else.

But this anger was immediately replace with a caring sort of feeling as soon as she looked at the girl, because, to put it bluntly, this girl seemed….afraid.

As soon as Koharu entered the doorway, the girl stared at her, a look of fear and hurt in her eyes.

Koharu slowly walked up to this little girl.

"I'm Koharu. What's your name?" Koharu asked.

Pan wasn't quite sure what installed her to suddenly almost trust this little girl that had suddenly walked into the room, but just like with Koyomiko, who sat next to her, munching on her sandwich, Pan could just feel like this girl was…nice, in a way.

"I'm Pan." she said in a quiet voice.

"I'm, uh…I was told that…we're sisters." Koharu said.

_Sisters?!_ Pan thought.

"ME AND OSAKA?!" was heard from Kagura outside the room, indicating that Kagura had just been told precisely who's DNA composed Pan.

"Natsuko-mama and Osaka-sempai, huh?" Koharu almost recited, although with a whole lot less shock.

Koyomiko immediately turned to Pan, and lifted up her shirt. Pan's face turned a nice shade of crimson.

"Hey, Koharu-chan, look." Koyomiko said.

Koharu looked. No belly button. Just like the three kids that were already living with the Azu-girls.

"Hey, that makes us all the same!" Koyomiko said happily, as she put Pan's shirt back down. Pan's face turned down in color, though it still maintained a blush.

At this point, Kagura came walking into the room.

Pan began to panic once more. She wanted to seek cover. She looked over at Koyomiko, and blushed.

She then looked at Koharu. She looked at those muscular arms, and decided she was the best one to hide behind.

Pan jumped down from the bed, and hid behind Koharu. Koyomiko and Koharu watched Pan do this, trying to figure out just what she was doing.

Kagura could already tell. With the way that girl hid behind Koharu, this was not gonna be easy.

Kagura kneeled down.

"Seems she's already taken a liking to you, Koharu," Kagura said softly.

Koharu nodded, still trying to look around herself to find Pan.

"Hey, Pan." Koharu said. "This is Natsuko-mama. She's my mom, too."

Pan peeked slowly around Koharu. She looked at Kagura for a moment.

"Hey, I'm Natsuko, but everybody usually calls me Kagura." Kagura said.

Pan looked at her for another moment.

"N-Natsuko…mama…" Pan said slowly.

Kagura nodded.

Pan quickly ran out from behind Koharu, and hugged Kagura tightly.

Kagura slowly wrapped her arms around Pan.

And Pan began to cry.

Koharu will still emotionally confused. She didn't know if she was supposed to be angry at this girl for having to share love with her, or supposed to feel sad for this girl, and help her.

…

Tomo, Yomi, and Koyomiko would leave the hospital, and head home.

Kagura was still holding Pan in her arms, as Kagura and Koharu walked to Osaka's house. They still had to break the news to her.

The entire time walking home, the two remained silent.

Koharu stared at the sidewalk, still having an emotional struggle within herself.

Kagura stared at the sidewalk as well. For her, she was thinking about how she was gonna tell Kaorin. It wasn't gonna be easy.

Pan was still curled up in Kagura's arms. She didn't know what the really awkward silence was for, but she had her thoughts to herself. This was the first time meeting her actual mother. Remaining curled up in Kagura's arms was nice for Pan.

A thought suddenly occurred to Pan.

"What's my other mom like?" Pan asked.

Both Kagura and Koharu remained silent, still lost in thought.

Pan tapped Kagura's shoulder.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Pan, I was uh…thinking." Kagura said. "So, what did you want to know?"

"What's my other mom like?" Pan asked.

"Well, she's…uh…" Kagura stuttered. How do you explain Osaka to someone who's supposed to love and respect her?

"She's wise beyond her years, but nobody sees it." Koharu responded.

Kagura, for once, was glad that Koharu looked up to Osaka the way she did.

Pan looked down at Koharu.

"So…we're…sisters?" Pan asked.

"Well, more like half-sisters, really, seeing as how we have only one of the same moms…" Koharu responded.

"What?" Pan asked. A sound of shock was in her voice, that kind of made Kagura panic.

"Oh, look! We're here!" Kagura said to change the subject.

They were now standing in front of Osaka's house.

Koharu and Kagura (with Pan still in her arms) stood there for a moment, wondering just how they would do this.

Kagura took a deep breath. "Well, here goes nothing…"

Kagura and Koharu walked up to the house, and Kagura knocked on the door.

Pan cuddled up closer to Kagura when Arata was the one to answer the door.

"Hey, Kagura-san!" Arata replied happily.

"Hey, Arata-san, is Osaka home?" Kagura asked.

"Yeah, although she's resting, 'cause she's pregnant" Arata said.

"Oh, well, that's ok, cause…SHE'S WHAT?!" Kagura yelled out.

Koharu didn't seem to get it.

"What's pregnant?" Koharu asked.

…

Kagura and Pan now sat down on the couch next to a sleeping Osaka, with Arata sleeping under the kotatsu. Apparently, it had been tough for him too.

They had just been told precisely how Osaka had ended up pregnant, and that she had been puking her guts out recently.

Koharu sat with her head on Kagura, and Pan was still in Kagura's arms. However, Pan had fallen asleep.

"I don't know, Koharu, what do you think?" Kagura asked.

"I think you need to tell Kaori-kaa-san about this," Koharu said. "'Cause if you don't, I can see her getting mad."

"No, I mean…what do you think about this whole 'sister' thing?" Kagura asked.

Koharu sighed heavily, and looked at the sleeping Pan in Kagura's arms. "I don't really know…I'm…I'm just confused."

Kagura just smiled, and wrapped one arm around Koharu. "Koharu, I know it may be confusing to you, but no matter what happens, you'll still always be my daughter, and I will always still love you."

Koharu smiled, turned herself around, and hugged Kagura. "Thanks, Natsuko-mama. I love you too."

But within this bonding moment between Kagura and Koharu, Pan's eyelids began to rapidly move (REM, indicating she was dreaming)

"No…No, please don't…" Pan said in her sleep. She began to move like she was having a nightmare.

Koharu and Kagura both got their full attention on Pan.

"What do you think she's dreaming about?" Koharu asked.

"I'm not sure, but it doesn't look good…" Kagura responded.

"No…No, stop…No, please…Don't kill me…"

At these words, Koharu and Kagura felt very worried for poor Pan. The words 'Don't kill me' seemed to have made them fear for what Pan had gone through.

"No…NO…NO!!" Pan jolted awake, breathing heavily. She looked around her as to where she was.

"Hey, Pan, what were you dreaming about?" Kagura asked.

Pan looked at Kagura straight in the eyes, and Kagura will never forget that moment. She saw total fear in Pan's eyes, as if she had seen something no human being ever should.

Pan's eyes watered up, and she buried her face in Kagura's body, crying as loud as she possibly could, tears running down her face.

This woke Osaka and Arata up.

"What happened? Is the baby born already?" Osaka asked in her daze.

Pan continued to sob loudly into Kagura.

Koharu put one hand on Pan's arm. Pan calmed down slightly at this, but only enough to stop sobbing loudly.

"What happened, Pan? What did you see?" Koharu asked.

"My parents…" Pan sobbed. "My parents…dying!"

"What do you mean dying?!" Koharu asked.

"A samurai…she killed them!!" Pan yelled.

And Pan returned to sobbing loudly into Kagura's body, while this was taken in by Kagura and Koharu.

…

While it was still about 5:00pm in Japan, it was only 3:00am at an airport in Oklahoma.

Where that murderer known only as Yukishiro was getting on the plane to Tokyo, Japan.

She had hidden her katana very well. She hid it inside of a walking cane that was coated with lead. She always put it through the x-ray machine at airports, and the places never picked up on it. She also made sure that no person trying to find weapons within it would find it, so she made it so that you had to twist the bottom of the cane first, then twist the top to make the katana come out. Most airports did top first, then bottom; which, of course, never worked.

She walked up the steps (using her cane to pretend that she was 'totally' blind), and sat down in her seat.

She was on her way to finding the rest of the girls, along with the one that got away.

…

Author's notes: So, obviously, Koharu and Kagura having a bit of an adjustment problem with Pan. But it would seem that they had better find to love Pan pretty quickly, before that girl Yukishiro finds them.

PS. For those of you who don't get the _Bleh Desu!!_ joke, as a forenote, the Japanese versions of most Anime is better than English.

And I place special emphasis on MOST.

Next Chapter: Telling Kaorin


	90. Telling Kaorin

Telling Kaorin

…

Kagura continued to hold Pan while she cried for what seemed like an eternity. Finally calming down, Pan dried her tears.

"So, who's this?" Osaka asked.

"This is Pan. She's…partially your daughter, and partially mine." Kagura explained.

"Partially mine?" Osaka asked.

"Yeah. She came from the same company that Koyomiko-chan, Nekosa-chan, and I came from." Koharu responded.

Osaka looked over at the child, and made eye contact.

"Hi. I'm Ayumu." Osaka said in a sweet tone.

Kagura was utterly surprised. She never really saw Osaka as a motherly-figure, but here she was, talking to this child in a soothing tone.

"Ayum…m…." Pan tried to sound it out. "Ayu-mama."

"Close enough" Osaka said, giving Pan a smile.

Pan couldn't help but smile back. Nobody, including Arata, had seen Osaka with that much of a sweet face until now.

Maybe it was what Nyamo referred to as 'motherly instinct'. To suddenly want to protect something that is connected to you in a way.

Maybe it was just the fact that Osaka had a baby now growing inside of her, and her pregnancy was causing her to be this way.

Either way, Osaka was not acting like the usual Osaka. She was acting more like a mother would. A sweet face and voice to someone who really needed comfort.

Pan got up, walked over to Osaka, sat down next to her, and wrapped her arms around her. Osaka then returned the favor by wrapping her arms around Pan.

Pan felt that same warmness that she had felt with Kagura. That feeling that only comes with hugs from your parents.

At that moment, Kagura's cell phone went off.

"Hello?" Kagura answered.

"Hey! Where are you two?" Kaorin asked happily.

"Oh, Kaorin…" Kagura replied, which got the attention of Koharu. "Listen, um…I'm gonna…bring Osaka over. We've um…got something to tell you."

"Natsuko, you ok? You sound kind of down. Is something wrong?" Kaorin asked.

"No, nothing's wrong. It's just…It's kind of hard to explain. I'll tell you when we get there." Kagura responded.

"Oh. Ok, then." Kaorin said. "I love you, Natsuko."

"I love you too, Kaorin" Kagura replied, before hanging up the phone.

Kagura sighed heavily, and stared at the floor. She had no idea how she was gonna explain this to Kaorin.

Koharu placed one hand on Kagura's shoulder.

"Kaori-kaa-san will understand." Koharu said.

Kagura smiled. "I sure hope so, Koharu. I sure hope so."

Kagura stood up, and faced Osaka and Arata.

"Hey, Osaka…" Kagura began. She took a deep breath. "I need to ask you a favor."

…

And so, Kagura, Koharu, Osaka, and Arata all walked over to Kagura's house, where Kaorin was. Pan was back in the arms of Kagura, seeing as how Osaka wasn't allowed to do any heavy lifting.

Kagura knocked on the door, and Kaorin came and answered it, a look of concern on her face.

"Oh…" Kaorin said, surprise in her voice. "Who's this?" pointing to the child in Kagura's arms."

"This…" Kagura took a deep heavy breath. "…is Pan. She's Osaka's child. And mine."

Kaorin took this new information in for a moment. Then anger began to boil within her.

"Natsuko…" she began low, then her voice picked up. "You've been cheating on me?!"

"No! I haven't!! It's just…" Kagura tried to start.

"It's just what?! Just the fact that you weren't happy with me?! What, Natsuko?! Tell me!! I'd really love to know!!" Kaorin yelled, anger clearly in her voice. "You see this?!" Kaorin held up her wedding ring. "This is to show that we would love each other to the very end!! That's what this shows!!"

Pan was curled up tightly into Kagura, fully afraid of this woman who was yelling. Koharu's eyes began to water.

"Seriously, Natsuko, what were you thinking?! Suddenly that Osa…" Kaorin immediately stopped, and looked down at her leg.

Koharu had grabbed hold of it, and was hugging it tightly. Tears were rolling down her face.

Another major wonder of the world. When a child begins to cry, it can often calm down the fiercest of tempers.

"Please…" Koharu said softly. "Please…just listen to Natsuko-mama…"

"Koharu…" Kaorin said softly. She then let out a deep sigh. "Ok…"

Kaorin sidestepped (with Koharu still attached to her leg) and let everybody in.

As Kagura walked by, she and Koharu locked eyes for a second.

The look in Kagura's eyes said "I owe you big time"

The look in Koharu's eyes said "You had better make this good"

…

The group now sat at a table. Koharu was now hugging Kaorin tightly, as if to keep her anger under control. Pan was still in the arms of Kagura. As for Osaka and Arata, they had fallen asleep on the couch, with Osaka's head on Arata's shoulder, and Arata putting his head on Osaka's.

"Ok, Natsuko…" Kaorin began. "Let's hear it."

Kagura took a deep breath. "Ok, Pan is from the same company that made Koharu, Nekosa-chan, and Koyomiko-chan. She was made by the DNA between Osaka and I. And…" Kagura took another deep breath at this part. "…I was actually afraid to tell you this, because I just found out today, and I knew you were going to blow up at me."

Kaorin now began to feel guilty. Kagura had known precisely what she was going to do, and Kagura had actually gotten the nerve to tell her, rather than keeping it a secret.

And that made Kaorin feel that much worse.

"Natsuko…I think we need a moment alone…" Kaorin said softly.

Kagura set Pan down on the floor, Pan not wanting to let go.

"It's ok. We'll just be upstairs for a minute…" Kagura said.

Pan still wouldn't let go.

Koharu came over, and tapped Pan on the shoulder.

"C'mon. The parents need a moment alone. You can hug me if you want to…" Koharu said.

Pan looked at her for a moment, then let go of Kagura. She didn't hold on to Koharu, but Koharu just being within close proximity of her made her feel…safer.

Kaorin and Kagura walked upstairs to their room, and shut the door.

Pan immediately got up, and walked up to the door, Koharu close behind.

…

Kagura and Kaorin sat down on the bed.

"I'm sorry if this seems sudden, Kaorin…" Kagura began. "…but the very first thing that came to my mind when I was told about this kid was your reaction to it."

"Really?!" Kaorin said, a slight bit of shock in her voice.

Kagura nodded. "And…I was just so…afraid…of how you would respond to this…"

Kaorin felt really guilty now. She had reacted in completely the wrong way. Didn't even get the entire story before suddenly blowing up in Kagura's face.

"I'm sorry, Natsuko. I didn't exactly handle that the right way." Kaorin said saidly. "I should have waited to hear your side of the story…but…I'm just…worried. I've already lost Sakaki-san, and I don't want to lose you."

"Hey, you don't have to worry about that." Kagura said, putting one hand on Kaorin's shoulder. "Although I like Osaka as a friend, it'll never go past that. I love you, and I'll always love you."

Kaorin looked over at Kagura, who was smiling at her.

Kaorin smiled back. "I'll always love you too."

The two of them kissed.

…

Pan walked away from the door. Koharu watched as Pan walked to the middle of the room, kneeled down, and began to cry softly.

Koharu walked over to Pan, and kneeled down next to her.

"What's wrong?" Koharu asked.

"My real parents…they…don't love me…" Pan said quietly, as she continued to cry softly.

"Hey, your parents will always love you!" Koharu said back, trying to convince Pan.

"How would you know? You've always been loved…" Pan said, tears still falling down her face.

Koharu stopped for a moment. "You know what I did once?"

Pan turned her attention to Koharu.

"I ran away. I truly believed that my parents didn't love me." Koharu said.

Pan's eyes widened. "R-really?"

Koharu nodded.

Pan thought about it for a moment. "So, then what happened?"

"My arm was almost broken by this one bouncer guy, and this gang in an alleyway almost attacked me, Koyomiko-chan, and Nekosa-chan." Koharu said.

Pan dried her tears, and began listening closely to the story.

"And then we were rescued by this really nice girl and her cat." Koharu finished. "And…I guess that's when I realized that…my parents really did love me, and always would. That night I spent away from them…I'll never forget it."

Pan stared down at the ground, her sad face returning.

"But…my parents…don't love each other…" Pan said, her eyes beginning to water again.

"Just because they don't love each other doesn't mean they don't love you!" Koharu said, still trying to be convincing. "You heard them. They're still best friends. Besides…"

Pan turned and looked at Koharu.

"Now you'll have four parents to love you. Can you imagine the presents on birthdays and Christmas?!" Koharu said, a bit of excitement in her voice.

Pan smiled. Koharu was keeping at her hardest to cheer Pan up, and Pan felt it was beginning to work.

"Hey, Koharu, why are you doing this?" Pan asked.

"Doing what?" Koharu asked.

"Being so nice to me. Trying to make me feel better." Pan responded.

It was at these words that Koharu finally understood what it meant to be a sister. And here she had been doing it all along, and had never even realized it.

She put one hand on Pan's shoulder. "We're sisters. We gotta stick up for one another."

Pan immediately moved herself to hug Koharu. Koharu was a bit surprised at first, but then wrapped her arms around Pan.

"Thanks, Koharu." Pan said.

A moment of this went by before Pan pulled back, and wiped away her tears.

"Hey, we gotta think up of something sisterly to do!" Koharu said. "You know, a secret sister hand-shake or something!"

Pan immediately thought of something. Pan held out her pinky. "Here. My friend and I in America did this…whenever we made promises."

Koharu smiled, stuck out her pinky, and locked pinkies with Pan. And the two shook pinkies.

"To be loving sisters…" Pan started.

"…and to always stick up for one another." Koharu finished.

"And that's a promise." Both of them said at the same time.

Kagura and Kaorin watched this from the doorway of their room.

"Isn't that sweet?" Kaorin said quietly, so the two kids wouldn't hear them.

Kagura nodded.

_That's my girls,_ Kagura thought.

…

But now we switch over to a different light, as Yukishiro now landed at the Tokyo airport.

Using her cane to pretend she was totally blind, she was looking for that particular energy.

And she found it. A woman was walking around with a long overcoat. And Yukishiro could easily 'see' through the overcoat, and notice the life energy in the cat tail and cat ears.

Yukishiro walked up to the woman, and tapped her shoulder.

"Oh, good, you're here…" Azami said, grinning slightly. "Let's get back to my house."

The two would take a taxi back to Azami's house.

But upon arriving at Azami's house, the two found not only Laharl, but three other people.

"Who are these people?" Azami asked.

"Who's the freak?" the one girl said.

In a very quick instant, Azami had one of her claws right at the neck of the girl.

"My name is Azami, and if you dare insult me again, your body will have to get used to living without its head." Azami threatened.

The girl swallowed hard. "G-got it."

Azami pulled back her claws, and looked straight at Laharl. "So, care to explain?"

"Gladly" Laharl said with an evil smile. "I met these guys around Christmas time. They have the same goals we do. Allow me to introduce Tomozawa Shu, Mitzuki Rei, and Kobayashi Kazu."

Azami looked at the three, analyzing them. Though they didn't seem to have any sort of uniqueness or special abilities, they at least had the same goals. And all three looked determined to get back at the girls.

"Ok, then…they're in." Azami said with an evil grin.

Shu couldn't help but start to chuckle evilly a little bit. "Finally, revenge…"

Azami, Laharl, Shu, Rei, and Kazu all began to chuckle evilly. They were all going to finally get their sweet revenge.

Yukishiro stood by the doorway, listening to all this idle chatter.

She would help with the revenge, but only if was to help complete her main objective.

That was the only thing on her mind. Completing the main objective.

…

Author's notes: The touching moment finally bonds Pan and Koharu together as sisters.

But now the bad guys are finally together, and looking to get revenge. You know this can't be good…

Once again, Shu, Rei, and Kazu all belong to AR and his story "Azumanga Daioh Christmas Tales". Definitely go read it now if you need to know why those three want revenge on the Azu-girls (and, specifically, which ones)

Next Chapter: Change of Chiyo


	91. Change of Chiyo

Change of Chiyo

Note: Possibly rated 'M' for sexual references

Guest Appearance: Shinobu from Love Hina!

…

The totally amazing thing was that Azami's attack, Pan's appearance, and the bonding of the bad guys all happened on Monday.

Now we see why Monday's always seem like hell.

But getting back on subject, Pan would stay with Osaka for the rest of the week, seeing as how Osaka's schedule went something like this:

On Tuesday, she tossed her cookies.

On Wednesday, she lost her lunch.

On Thursday, she hurled chunks.

And finally on Friday, she involuntarily met with past meals already ate.

But Pan continued to have nightmares about her parents' death. Every night she would wake up crying, and Osaka would often wake up and calm her down.

And Kagura was purely surprised at this fact. She never imagined Osaka to be much of a motherly figure.

"Hey, just because she has weird thoughts doesn't mean she isn't a mother." Kaorin pointed out. "I wouldn't worry, though. Once this pregnancy's over, I'm pretty sure Osaka will be back to...um…I wouldn't use the word 'normal'…"

"Back to being Osaka?" Kagura finished.

"Yeah, that." Kaorin said.

So now it was the weekend, and Pan was looking forward to going back to Kagura's house, not only to see how Kagura and Kaorin had prepared for her return, but also to meet up with her sister.

Things had been so rough at the beginning, but now Pan was finally feeling warm and welcomed.

Although Pan still found it very hard to get over, she was at least used to the fact that Kagura and Osaka weren't together. Like Koharu had pointed out, they still loved her, and that was all that mattered.

But now we switch focus over to Joe and Sakaki, who are walking with Nekosa to Sakaki's parents' house. It is Friday afternoon, and Koyomiko and Koharu are still in school.

"Are you sure?" Sakaki asked.

"Positive" Joe responded. "The safest place for Nekosa is at your parents' house."

_Under the guard of Daichi_, Joe thought.

So, Joe and Sakaki dropped Nekosa off at her parents' house, and then began their trek toward the hospital.

Chiyo had told them that their tests had come back, and if they would like to come into the hospital, they could find out the results.

The two walked in to the hospital, both of them holding each other's hands for comfort.

They were sent in to a doctor's room, and then awaited their results to come walking in…

"Nervous?" Joe asked.

"N-not really…" Sakaki lied. "You?"

"Immensely…" Joe said.

"Me too…" Sakaki said.

Both of them smiled slightly at this joke.

The door opened and child-form Chiyo came walking in, a folder in her hand.

"Hey, you twooooh my god, what happened to your face?!" Chiyo yelled at Joe, as she got full view of the scratches down Joe's face.

"It's a long story…" Joe responded.

"Wait here!" Chiyo said, as she ran out.

Joe heard a _sssst!_ Coming from real close. A few minutes later, Chiyo came back with a glass of synthesized soda. Joe drank it down, wincing as he finished. A few seconds later, the scratches on his face were gone.

"Well, now that that's all better, let's see what your test results have to say…" Chiyo said, opening the folder she had been carrying.

Chiyo looked at the papers for a moment.

"Well, I've got some good news and some bad news…" Chiyo started.

Both Joe and Sakaki swallowed hard.

"What's…the bad news?" Joe asked. Both he and Sakaki had full attention on Chiyo.

"Well…I'm afraid there's nothing more we can do…" Chiyo said sullenly.

Both Joe and Sakaki felt their hearts drop to the floor. So the doctors couldn't even do anything…what a cruel twisted fate had been dropped on them…

"Then what's the good news?" Joe asked, depression in his voice.

"There's nothing wrong with you." Chiyo said.

Joe and Sakaki did an Anime-drop-to-the-ground.

Chiyo burst out laughing.

"Seriously Chiyo, that's not funny!!" Joe said, a bit of anger in his voice as he stood back up.

"I'm sorry, but…(_snicker_) you walked right into that one!" Chiyo said, bursting out laughing again.

Joe's face turned slightly red, not in anger, but in total embarrassment. Yeah, he HAD walked straight into that one.

"So, there's nothing wrong with either of us?" Sakaki asked, standing back up.

"Nope!" Chiyo said. "You're just gonna have to keep trying!"

"But…" Joe started. "Wait…I thought they had medications for…you know…making her ovulate more…"

"They do, but we don't like to prescribe them to people who are healthy." Chiyo responded.

"Well, you guys are my last patients for the day, so unless you guys have any questions…" both Joe and Sakaki shook their heads. "…then I'll see you guys later, hopefully, when Sakaki's pregnant."

Chiyo left the room, then burst out laughing again.

Joe blushed again in embarrassment. "That…was SO embarrassing."

Sakaki just smiled. "Well, at least there's nothing wrong with us…"

"Yeah…" Joe said. Then he got a little bit of a sheepish grin on his face. "Hey…Nekosa's over at your parents…

"I'm sorry, but…" Sakaki started. "…I'm still nervous, with Azami being out there."

Joe sighed, but still put a smile on his face.

"Ok, Tanaka…" Joe said. "Let's go pick her up."

Sakaki smiled. "Thank you…for understanding."

…

Chiyo would leave the hospital, and head home. She transformed into her adult form about halfway home, and walked into the house. She took her shoes off, then ran upstairs to prep herself.

Shaun and Chiyo were having some…relationship problems. Lately, Chiyo had been feeling like Shaun wasn't showing her he loved her.

And Shaun…well, he actually could very easily admit that. Those nightmares of his…'thing'…falling off still haunted him. Try as he might, he just couldn't get past those haunting visions and nightmares. To make matters worse, he had been kissing Chiyo once when one of those visions came up. And now, he had problems kissing Chiyo at all.

So, the both of them decided that they were going to go to the beach house together over the weekend, to see if they could rekindle their relationship, or just break up.

Personally, Shaun didn't want to break up. His breakup with Yomi had been so hard and painful…he didn't want to have to go through that again.

The two would take a taxi out to the beach house.

"So…" Shaun started. "I heard Yukari got arrested…"

"About time…" Chiyo replied.

And that was it for conversations all the way to the beach house. (Yeah, the relationship is THAT bad)

The two would arrive at the beach house, and Shaun would finally get his first look at it.

"Wow…" Shaun said. "Not only do you have a gigantic house, but you have a beach house, too?"

"Yeah…" Chiyo replied, though not quite in her usual cheerful tone. "I have a lot of…fond memories here…"

Chiyo stared at the beach house for a moment, remembering all of the fond memories.

"Chiyo? You ok?" Shaun asked.

Chiyo shook herself out of it. "Yeah, I'm fine…"

The two would head inside, and put their stuff away. They had many extra rooms to spare, now that they were all alone. The two would then go into separate rooms, and immediately put on their swimsuits.

Adult form Chiyo came out of her room. She had changed her adult hairstyle to make it straight down, much like Sakaki's hair. She wore an orange two-piece bikini. Chiyo instinctively blushed as she realized just how much cleavage the thing showed off.

"Now I know why Sakaki-san didn't like this…" Chiyo said to herself.

Shaun was having that exact same problem Joe had when he first came here.

Shaun did not have a beach body to speak of. He was totally pale white, with no muscle underneath.

"I wonder if Joe had the same problems I'm having now…" Shaun said to himself. He sighed heavily. "Well, at least I know now why we hang out together…"

The two of them walked out of their separate rooms, both of them slightly blushing in embarrassment.

Shaun's eyes immediately went wide at Chiyo's sudden show of cleavage.

"You know…" Chiyo said in a very quiet tone. "Spending so much time in my child form, I forget how…top-heavy…this adult form is…"

"Yeah…top-heavy…" Shaun said in a very mesmerized tone.

"Shaun, are you even paying attention to me?" Chiyo asked irritantly.

Shaun quickly snapped out of it. "Uh…I mean…of course I'm listening to you."

"You were staring at my boobs." Chiyo said bluntly.

"I couldn't help it, ok?!" Shaun said defensively.

"Yes, you can. Joe does it with Sakaki-san all the time." Chiyo said grumpily.

"That's Joe! He's different!! That's why he's married to Sakaki! Because he's not like most guys!!" Shaun yelled back.

"hmph!" Chiyo turned around, and walked out of the beach house.

Shaun sighed. Already, things were not going well…

He walked out of the beach house himself, hanging his head in shame, and closing the door behind him.

…

Shaun walked up to Chiyo, who was doing stretches on the beach.

"Hey, Chiyo, listen…" Shaun started. "I'm sorry…I…didn't mean to…"

"Didn't mean to what? Stare at my boobs? God, most men are the same. Get one good look at some girl's cleavage, and it's suddenly like you're hypnotized!" Chiyo yelled angrily, even stopping her stretching.

And Shaun, being the guy, opened his mouth before he thought.

"Well, they keep bouncing like they're trying to hypnotize you."

SLAP!!!

Shaun's left face cheek suddenly stung badly from the slap of Chiyo Mihama.

And all Shaun could think was…

_Did I really just say that?!_

"You perv…" Chiyo said angrily, before walking off down the beach.

Shaun sat down in the sand, now feeling horrible. Not only had he said absolutely the wrong thing just now, but now he lost Chiyo Mihama, probably for good.

Shaun looked over to find Chiyo talking with the typical beach body guys. The gleaming biceps, the all-over-tan body, the six pack abs, the whole works.

Shaun looked back at his own body. No muscle…Pale…couldn't even see the abs…

Shaun curled up, and buried his face into his legs. Now he felt miserable…

"Hey, what's wrong?" A voice by Shaun suddenly said.

He pulled his face out of his legs to see a girl with blue eyes and blue hair that was cut just like Kaorin's standing right next to him in a bikini.

"I just lost my girlfriend…probably forever…and it's all because I said something totally stupid…" Shaun replied, moving his gaze out into the open ocean.

The girl sat down next to Shaun, and curled up her legs like Shaun had his.

"I'm Shinobu. Shinobu Maehara" the girl said.

"I'm Shaun. Shaun Miyamoto." Shaun replied.

"Are you in any way related to Rebecca Miyamoto?" Shinobu asked.

"Yes…" Shaun said with a sigh.

"Oh, really?! Wow! That must be awesome, being related to a child genius like her!! And she's so cute, too!" Shinobu said.

"Actually, it sucks…" Shaun grumbled back. "I always feel like I'm living in her shadow. I did the exact same thing, ya know? I graduated from MIT long before she did, and at the same age, too! But did anybody hear of me? NO! They all turned their heads to the flipping child genius who became a teacher!! I became a game Character designer, and nobody paid any attention to me!!"

Shinobu was taken back a bit by the yelling.

Shaun sighed heavily to calm himself down. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to yell…it's just…" Shaun sighed, this time a state of depression. "…I'm just so…depressed. My girlfriend now actually met me when I was on a downhill stride with one girlfriend who dumped me over another girl."

Shinobu got that super shocked look on her face. "You mean she was a…?!"

Shaun nodded. "And then Chiyo met up with me…probably because she was feeling jealous of all of her friends having boyfriends at the time…"

"Or girlfriends." Shinobu added.

"Or girlfriends…" Shaun said back. He sighed again heavily. "Maybe that's why she's over there, talking to them…" he turned his head to Chiyo, and Shinobu looked in the same general area.

"Those guys are bad news. They were hitting on me earlier." Shinobu said, a bit of irritation in her voice.

"Hey!" Chiyo yelled suddenly. She wrapped her arms around her top.

"Sorry. Must have been reflex." One of the guys said with a smile, making a squeezing motion with his hand.

The two other one's laughed.

"You see? Nothing but…" Shinobu stopped as Shaun passed her by.

Shaun walked up to the leader, whom had obviously just 'copped a feel' on Chiyo, and punched him straight in the 'forbidden zone'.

…

Shinobu gasped, blushing furiously. She quickly got up and ran away in embarrassment at what she had just witnessed.

…

The leader curled up, and fell to the ground, trying to catch his breath.

"Hey! No one hits the boss like that! Now we're gonna have'ta break your bones!!" one of the guys said.

Shaun stood his ground.

Chiyo simply backed up, grinning a bit.

One of the guys decided he was going to attack first, and threw a punch straight at Shaun's face.

Shaun moved himself out of the way, and then threw a punch straight into this guy's crotch as well. And the guy fell to the ground, much like his boss had.

Shaun had two thoughts run through his mind at this point. One is he wished that he would have worn shoes, so then he could kick them rather than having to punch them, and secondly, that he would have to wash his hands later.

Now, the third guy saw this as a problem. So, he quickly moved himself to grab Chiyo.

Of course, her self-defense teachings would come in handy at this point. She hadn't seen the feel coming, but she saw this guy coming at her easily.

Chiyo immediately changed to her child form. The guy almost half-stepped at this sudden surprise. Chiyo then jumped forward and landed on her hands, then spun herself upwards and hit the man straight in the chin with her "Mihama Hurricane Spin".

The three guys now lay on the sand, completely taken out.

"Wow, we did pretty…" Shaun turned his head, and adult-form Chiyo immediately met his lips with a passionate kiss.

She pulled back slowly, staring into his eyes.

"Thank you…for sticking up for me like that…" Chiyo said.

"N-no problem…" Shaun said. "And…I'm sorry for what I said. I…tend to say stuff before I think about it."

"I kind of figured" Chiyo said quietly.

"You know…" Shaun said. "You really need to teach me my own special move…"

Chiyo giggled a bit. "Maybe…when we get back from this vacation…"

…

Back at the beach house, the two were laying on the couch, still in their swimsuits, Shaun on top, kissing passionately.

Shaun pulled back for a moment.

"Chiyo…I'm sorry about the last week…It's just…that one thing you told me about STD's…it kept haunting me…and then…when I kissed you one time…it just popped in there…"

"And I'm sorry for telling you that sort of thing…" Chiyo said. "I guess I should have been more direct. I'm really not ready for sex yet. Maybe when I'm like…21…then I'll probably be ready…but right now, I still feel way too young for that sort of thing."

"I know. I mean, maybe it was my 18th birthday mixed with raging hormones that caused me to ask. But…I promise, I'll wait until you're ready…" Shaun responded.

The two looked into each other's eyes for a moment. Then Chiyo suddenly giggled.

"What?" Shaun asked.

"heh…I can't wait to tell Tomo that I'm dating a perverted guy…and it's working out for me…" Chiyo said, grinning evilly a little bit. "…Man, she's gonna be peeved."

Shaun couldn't help but giggle a bit too.

The two began kissing passionately once more.

…

Shaun would wake up a bit later. It was already beginning to reach the afternoon.

He looked at the couch. Chiyo was still sleeping in her sexy two-piece bikini, and he was still in his swim trunks.

Shaun just smiled. He was so glad that things had finally been patched up between him and Chiyo.

It was then that Shaun immediately noticed that something was wrong.

"Hey, Chiyo!" Shaun hissed, shaking Chiyo to wake her up.

Chiyo stirred a bit before finally walking up. She sat up on the couch.

"What is it, Shaun?" Chiyo asked.

Shaun pointed to a TV that was set up right in front of them.

Both of them stared at it for a moment, unsure of what to think. They knew for a fact that that TV had not been there when they had fallen asleep.

Suddenly, the TV turned on by itself. First it was nothing but static, then it changed.

A man was in the TV. Though you could only see the head and shoulders, it was obvious that he was wearing a big purple cape. His green-bluish hair stood straight up, and he had some machinery on the right side of his face.

It was a man that Shaun almost instantly recognized.

(said in English)

"It's you!" Shaun said.

"HOW ARE YOU GENTLEMEN!! ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US!! YOU ARE ON THE WAY TO DESTRUCTION!!"

"What you say?!"

"YOU HAVE NO CHANCE TO SURVIVE MAKE YOUR TIME!!"

BEEP!

Both Shaun and Chiyo turned at this noise. They noticed a bomb on the floor that read 10 seconds.

"HA HA HA!"

9…

8…

7…

"Chiyo, run!!!" Shaun yelled, grabbing Chiyo's wrist, and pulling her toward the door as the timer hit 6.

5…

4…

3…

Shaun and Chiyo ran out the door, running as fast as they possibly could.

2…

1…

KABOOOOOM!!!

…

Author's notes: Yeah, left ya with a cliffhanger there.

Quick, head over to the next chapter and find out what happens!!

Next Chapter: The Evil Guys Strike First


	92. The Evil guys strike first

The Bad Guys Strike First

Guests: Motoko from Love Hina, Yayoi from Happy Lesson, and a new special guest.

…

Friday, before pre-school gets out

…

"Yes, my daughter has a doctor's appointment today" Tomo said.

Tomo was in the office at Koyomiko's preschool far before school was supposed to be out.

So, the receptionist called for Koyomiko.

"You know that we do wish that you schedule these appointments outside of school time…" the receptionist replied as she hung up the phone.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But it couldn't be avoided!" Tomo said, irritated at the receptionist.

"Mama!!" Koyomiko said happily as she ran up and wrapped her arms around Tomo's legs. "You've come to pick me up early?!"

"That's right. You've got a doctor's appointment." Tomo said, as she ushered Koyomiko out of the office.

"Huh? I don't remember a doctor's appointment…" Koyomiko said.

"Oh…well, I forgot to tell you…you know me…" Tomo said, rubbing the back of her head with one hand.

"Silly Mama!" Koyomiko said happily. Truth be told, she was just glad to get out of the school early.

"Hey, I have an idea! Let's play follow the leader!" Tomo said.

"OK! You be the leader!!" Koyomiko said.

"Hey, how about you be the leader this time?" Tomo asked.

"OK!"

And so Tomo followed behind Koyomiko while Koyomiko happily marched forward.

Then something occurred to Koyomiko. She had no idea where the hospital was…

She was about to turn around and ask Tomo, but someone suddenly put a washcloth over her mouth.

Koyomiko suddenly wondered what was on this washcloth…it smelled funny…

Koyomiko then felt really drowsy…she didn't know why…

And Koyomiko lost consciousness.

…

At the same time this was going on, Koharu went outside to have some lunch.

"Yum! Looks like another taiyaki!" Koharu said happily.

Suddenly, something landed in front of her and exploded, causing smoke to go everywhere.

Koharu coughed as the smoke completely surrounded her. Her eyes burned…

Then Koharu suddenly felt really drowsy, and fell to the ground, fast asleep.

Someone with a cat tail and gas mask dropped down, picked Koharu up, and then dashed off.

…

Joe and Sakaki walked back to Sakaki's parents house.

But the thing that made both Sakaki and Joe's hearts jump to their throats was that the door was nothing but splinters now.

The two ran inside.

Daichi was lying down on the ground in the kitchen. Jessica was sprawled out in the living room not far from the kitchen.

Sakaki stared at her parents for a moment, then fell to her knees, and began to cry.

"I knew it…" Sakaki said, her tears falling to the floor. "I knew we shouldn't have dropped her off here…She wasn't safe…"

"Do not blame yourself, Sakaki-san…" a voice coming from the door. "Your daughter could not have been safe anywhere…"

Joe and Sakaki both whipped around to see three girls, each wearing those white robes that kendo people often do. One of them was someone Joe instantly recognized.

"You know…" Joe said with a slight smirk. "I see you so often now, I think I should learn your name."

"Motoko…" the one girl replied with a slight smirk. "Motoko Ayoma."

The girl next to Motoko had blonde hair, and seemed older than the other two.

"My name is Yayoi" she replied. "Yayoi Sanzenin"

Then Sakaki and Joe looked to the one in the front, who appeared to be the youngest of the three. She had black hair tied up what looked like a ponytail, but the part of her hair that was tied was pointed somewhat upwards, with the rest of the hair falling down.

"My name is Madoka." the girl replied. "Madoka Yoshida"

"So, what did you mean and why are you here?" Joe asked.

"What she means is that another samurai attacked this place." Motoko said. "We have all seen it through meditation."

"She is a samurai far more powerful than any one of us, so the three of us have decided to combine our strength to try to defeat this enemy" Yayoi said.

Madoka walked up to the sleeping Daichi.

"Hm…it seems she knows my ways as well…" Madoka said. "Strange…"

Madoka closed her eyes, and touched Daichi's forehead. As soon as she did, Daichi woke up.

And he saw Madoka's face, he instantly turned red with rage.

"I'LL KILL YOU ALL!!" he screamed, as he stood straight up. Madoka jumped back to avoid Daichi's grasp.

"Dad! Dad! Calm down!" Sakaki said, putting her hands against her father's chest. "It's ok…she's here to help us."

Madoka noticed that Sakaki had settled Daichi down, so now she walked over to Jessica.

"Hey, I just realized…how did you know Tanaka's name?" Joe asked.

"Rachel-san has told me of her, you, and all of your friends. I met her while she was in college, and since then we have become good friends." Madoka said, as she awaked Jessica like she had with Daichi.

Jessica immediately panicked. "Stay away!! Stay away!!!"

"Mom!!" Sakaki yelled. "It's ok. She's with us."

Jessica seemed to have calmed down after this, especially when she noticed that Madoka was not the one who attacked them.

"So, who did this?" Joe asked.

Daichi opened his mouth to talk, but Yayoi began talking before he could answer.

"It is a girl…" Yayoi began. "…a girl mastered in many uses with katana, and chi. She is totally heartless, and will complete her mission with the same efficiency."

"That's all good and well, but what does she look like?" Joe asked.

"She has white hair…" Daichi said. "And she never made eye contact…you know, as if she was totally blind."

"Not totally" Motoko replied. "I saw in meditation once. She sees the life energy all living things give off. It allows her to at least see what she intends to kill."

"And we must go…" Madoka said. "You will be seeing us again soon. For we can all feel that some dark times are ahead of us…"

And with that, the three samurai left the building.

…

So, now we find Nekosa, unconscious, being handcuffed to a chair by Yukishiro in Azami's old house.

Tomo comes walking in, Koyomiko slung over her shoulder.

"Wonder if Azami got hers?" Tomo asked.

"You bet I did…" Azami said, taking off the gas mask. Koharu was slung over her shoulder.

"How'd you knock her out?" Tomo asked.

"I'm a scientist. I can make knock-out gas from common household chemicals with ease." Azami replied with an evil grin.

The two then handcuffed their kids to separate chairs. The way the kids where set up was Koharu and Nekosa were back to back, and Koyomiko was to the right of Nekosa. They were all within a few centimeters of each other.

"So, should we wake them up?" Azami asked.

"Let's…" Tomo replied with an evil grin.

Azami gave a good hard slap to Koharu's face. Tomo began shaking Koyomiko. Yukishiro touched Nekosa's forehead.

All three of the Azu-kids began to stir, and slowly woke up.

"Mama? Where are we?" Koyomiko asked.

"hmhmhmhmhm…" Tomo laughed evilly. "I'm not your Mama…"

Tomo then reached back, and pulled off her face, revealing a person beneath it.

"You!!" Koyomiko gasped. "Wait, who are you again?"

"I AM THE MIGHTY PRINCE LAHARL, AND YOU WILL DO WELL TO REMEMBER THAT NAME, YOU LITTLE BRAT!!" Laharl yelled angrily, his voice now back to the raspy Laharl voice.

Nekosa was already breathing like she was scared for her life, because she saw Azami out of the corner of her eye.

"Ah, Nekosa, so glad to see you remember me…" Azami said with an evil grin.

Koharu took a look at the samurai.

"So, what's your name?" Koharu asked grumpily.

"Where's the other child?" Yukishiro asked in that cold tone of hers.

"Other child? What other child?" Koharu asked.

"The one that escaped me last time…" Yukishiro said. "Maybe she told you…I killed off her parents…"

Koharu first felt complete and total shock. She now knew that Pan really HAD seen her parents murdered.

Then Koharu felt rage. Rage at the person who had done such a cruel thing…

Yukishiro could see a lot of life energy in Koharu being transferred to her arms.

"You…little…horrid…"

Before Koharu could finish her sentence, Yukishiro had her katana out, and the point right on the back of Koyomiko's neck.

Koyomiko could feel the cold steel.

"Calm yourself, or I kill her off." Yukishiro said.

Koharu now felt inner struggle. On the one hand, she wanted to bend Yukishiro in ways no human should ever be bent in. On the other, Koyomiko was her friend, and she couldn't bare to see her die because of something she did.

Koharu looked down at the ground, still feeling anger and rage, but now also feeling helpless. They had her and her two friends. They could do with them whatever they wished.

It was the first time Koharu had felt helpless. Truth be told, it really hurt her.

"So, I'll ask again. Where's the other one?" Yukishiro asked.

"I…don't know…" Koharu said quietly.

Yukishiro, due to her blindness, also had an acute sense of hearing, so she had heard Koharu clearly.

"I believe you to be lying…" Yukishiro said coldly.

"I don't know, ok?!" Koharu yelled in frustration. "I was kidnapped from school!! I have no idea where she is!!!"

"You're lying will cost your friend dearly…" Yukishiro said. Koharu saw her pull her katana back, and swing forward.

"NOOOOOO!!" Koharu screamed, closing her eyes.

Koyomiko sat there, utterly frozen. The katana had moved itself ever so slightly from it's original target, so that it utterly missed Koyomiko's neck. However, it had cut through the shoulder of her shirt. And now Koyomiko could now look at the katana that was millimeters from her shoulder.

Koharu began to sob softly. Her tears hit the floor.

"I don't know…I really don't know…" Koharu said.

Yukishiro stared for a moment, decided that she really didn't know, and moved her katana back into the holder.

"We must find that other girl" Yukishiro said coldly.

"We will." Azami said. "Once we get our revenge, we'll find the other girl, and then you can complete your mission."

"Revenge?" Koyomiko asked. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough, little girl…" Laharl said with a menacing smile. "You'll find out soon enough."

At that point, Tomozawa, Rei, and Kazu, along with three prinnies came walking in.

"We've found out that the two smart ones are headed out to their beach house, dood." one of the prinnies said.

"Hm…so, how do we get rid of them?" Laharl asked.

Kazu smiled. "Leave that to me. I used to manufacture bombs back in my rich days."

Laharl smiled evilly. "Perfect. They're all yours."

"With pleasure" Kazu said, before leaving.

"Smart ones? Who do you think they're talking about?" Koyomiko whispered.

"I don't know, but I know it can't be good." Nekosa whispered back.

Koharu still had her head hanging. Rei walked up to Koharu.

"Don't be sad…" Rei said evilly. "Tomorrow you'll fully understand what we're talking about."

Koharu looked angrily up at Rei.

"Uuuu, scary" Rei said with a chuckle. "Heh…you got Kagura's fire, kid."

Rei, Yukishiro, Azami, Laharl, and Tomozawa decided it was time for bed. However, before they did, Azami got some nail clippers, and pulled Nekosa away from the group by her chair.

Azami then clipped Nekosa's cat-nails way down.

"What are you doing?" Laharl asked.

"I used to get out of handcuffs all the time with my cat-nails. This is just in case she learned how to do so as well." Azami said, moving Nekosa back to where she was.

Four of them then left for bed.

"And if any of you escape, I'll kill those that remain" Yukishiro said in a cold tone, before leaving for bed.

The three kids now sat, handcuffed and tied to chairs, unable to go anywhere.

…

So now we join Shaun and Chiyo, on the ground, still in their swimwear, with the beach house blown to bits.

Kazu, however, believes the job to be done, and tears out of there in his car.

Shaun and Chiyo look back at the now-destroyed beach house.

"All of my memories…gone…" Chiyo said, the tears welling up in her eyes.

Shaun looked at Chiyo. He knew it was going to be hard for Chiyo.

Chiyo tried to stand up, and a pain shot up her leg, causing her to fall back to the ground.

"GAH!!" Chiyo screamed in pain.

"Woah, Chiyo!! Hold on!" Shaun caught full sight of it. A piece wood, probably from the exploding beach house, had thrown itself right into the back of Chiyo's leg. And the leg was bleeding badly.

The piece of wood was not big enough to go through Chiyo's leg, but it was big enough to be easily noticeable.

"Man, this thing is big…" Shaun said.

"I wish we had more clothes…" Chiyo said. "We could have used a shirt as a makeshift bandage."

Shaun moved his hand to touch the wood in Chiyo's leg.

"Don't touch it!!" Chiyo yelled, which caused Shaun to jump back. "Until we can get a bandage on it, we need to keep it there, to at least keep the bleeding down to a minimum."

"So, what do you propose we do?" Shaun asked.

…

Shaun began walking down the beach, carrying Chiyo on his back. Chiyo watched the beach house slowly fade away into the distance, sadness on her face and in her heart.

The two of them came into a coffee shop not far down the beach.

"I'm sorry, we're…OH MY GOSH, WHAT HAPPENED?!!" Shinobu screamed.

"We need to get back to town." Shaun said "and fast."

…

Yomi waited outside the school for Koyomiko. And she waited…and waited…

Finally, she walked inside the office.

"Excuse me…" Yomi said. "But I'm waiting for Koyomiko…"

"I'm sorry, but a certain Tomo Takino picked her up for a doctor's appointment earlier today…" the receptionist said.

"Oh…well, thank you." Yomi said, as she left the building.

She whipped out her cell phone, and called Tomo's cell phone.

"Tomo, do you have Koyomiko?" she asked.

"Um…no" Tomo replied. "I'm still at work. Why?"

Yomi's cell phone dropped to the ground.

"KOYOMIKOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

…

Kazu would return to the house, smiling evilly.

"heh…and nobody here's to greet me on my job well done." Kazu said. Well, it was already 9:00pm, so he really wasn't expecting anyone to be there.

So, Kazu would also head off to bed, paying no heed to the three girls handcuffed to chairs.

…

9:30pm

…

All three stomachs growled.

"Hey, I'm hungry!!" Koyomiko yelled.

"Eat your arm!!" Laharl yelled back.

Koyomiko sat back in her chair, unsatisfied.

"I'm still hungry!!!" Koyomiko screamed out.

Yukishiro came walking out of her room, and walked into the kitchen. She came back out a bit later with a tray of sandwiches, and set them down on the floor in front of Koyomiko.

She uncuffed Koyomiko first, but as soon as Koyomiko was free, Yukishiro had her katana right at Nekosa's neck.

Koyomiko got the hint. She sat down and ate her sandwiches.

Koyomiko had a tough time on the sandwiches. Her Kaa-san could make them way better.

As soon as she was finished, Koymiko sat back down in her chair, and put her hands behind her back. Yukishiro quickly re-handcuffed Koyomiko.

Then Koharu was next. Yukishiro did the same, but put her katana right at Koyomiko's neck.

As Koharu took her first bite of sandwich, Azami came walking out.

"Yukishiro, what are you doing?" she asked.

"The children are hungry." Yukishiro responded. "Even if I were to threaten their lives, they would still complain of hunger. Besides, I have the situation under control."

"heh…You have a soft spot." Azami said. "I would have let them starve."

This got an angry look from all three girls. The hair on Nekosa's tail stood straight up, making it look poofy.

Azami smiled. "That little cat part of you gives away your emotions, Nekosa." Azami's cattail flicked a bit at the end.

Koharu returned to her seat, and was quickly handcuffed by Azami. Then Nekosa's turn came.

"You don't have to keep your sword at my friends' neck…" Nekosa said. "I won't escape."

Yukishiro continued to stare coldly at Nekosa.

Nekosa got down, and Yukishiro still put her katana right at Koharu's neck.

Nekosa walked over to the sandwich tray, and began to eat them.

Azami, with a slight grin on her face, but an evil look in her eyes, watched Nekosa intently.

_Soon, Nekosa, soon…you will be mine_, Azami thought.

Nekosa finished up the last few sandwiches, then returned to her seat, where she was re-handcuffed by Yukishiro.

"Thank you" Nekosa said quietly.

Yukishiro looked up at Nekosa, her stare still hard and cold. Yukishiro then stood up, and walked into her bedroom.

Azami watched Yukishiro, then looked over at the three girls.

"That's the last bit of kindness you're getting, because tomorrow…" Azami said with an evil laugh. "…the real fun begins."

And Azami returned to her bed, leaving the three kids alone again.

…

Author's notes: Is Yukishiro showing a bit of heart? Or is it just because she really was just trying to keep the kids quiet?

Who really knows?

Ah, yes, and you probably all recognize Madoka Yoshida from AR's 'New Azumanga Daioh'

Yes, three samurai all teamed up. Let's hope it can be enough.

Next Chapter: Plans Revealed


	93. Plans Revealed

Plans Revealed

…

Evening

…

Yomi, Tomo, Kagura, Kaorin, Joe, and Sakaki sat around in Sakaki's house. Osaka and Arata were also there, but the both of them were sound asleep. Osaka's throwing up, and Arata always helping her throughout those moments, constantly made them both tired.

"Unbelievable…" Tomo said. "First they run away, and now they were kidnapped."

"What makes things even worse is that they were kidnapped by a samurai." Joe said.

All six of them sighed. They had already informed the police of their predicament.

That's also when they found out about Yukari's arrest.

Needless to say, only Tomo was actually depressed by this fact.

But back to the present…

"So, who's this?" Joe asked, pointing to the little girl that was curled up in Kagura's arms once more.

"This is Pan. She's my daughter. And Osaka's" Kagura said.

"Osaka's?!" Joe and Sakaki yelled at the same time.

"Yeah." Kagura said.

"Wow, first pregnancy, and now this…" Joe said. "Must be tough for poor Osaka"

"Osaka's pregnant?!" Kaorin yelled.

"What's pregnant? Is it bad?" Pan asked in a slightly panicked state.

"No, it's not bad, it's just…um…what's the word…" Joe thought.

"Stressful" Tomo said in a serious tone.

Everybody else (except Pan) got the same thought. Tomo had been serious the last time Koyomiko went missing as well. It meant that Tomo had really begun to love that little girl, and really took it seriously when she suddenly went missing.

A sudden knock at the door caused everyone to jump. Joe quickly made his way to the door, and opened it.

Shaun and Chiyo were standing in the doorway. Both of them were fully clothed, and Chiyo was no longer limping. The both of them had gotten back to town, and Chiyo had made one a synthesized soda for herself. Then the two had gone over to Chiyo's house quickly to get a change of clothes, before coming over to Joe's house.

"Wow, back early…" Joe said. "What happened?"

"Someone set up us the bomb" Shaun said in English.

"What?" Joe asked.

"Someone blew up the beach house." Chiyo said.

An utter silence followed. Everybody there had some fond memories of that beach house, and now they were totally gone.

"Well, you guys missed out." Joe said sullenly. "The kids were kidnapped."

"What?!" Shaun and Chiyo said in shock.

"Yeah…they even managed to get Nekosa away from Daichi" Joe said.

"Who's Daichi?" the both of them asked.

"Never mind, I'll explain later…" Joe said.

…

So, everybody stayed over at Sakaki's house, much like they had when the kids had run away. The parents didn't get any sort of sleep whatsoever. Even Tomo hadn't even bothered to ask how it had gone with Shaun and Chiyo. Then again, they had pretty much explained it.

The next day, Joe was watching the news.

"In other news, some children have gone missing recently..."

Joe prayed that this news broadcast would hopefully get the kids found.

Suddenly, the anchor woman was handed a piece of paper.

"We have some breaking news here!! It seems that there is a hostage situation right in the center of Tokyo!! We take you there live now!!"

And the very first thing Joe saw was all three kids, tied to chairs.

"GUYS!!!!" He yelled, keeping his gaze fixed on the TV.

Everyone came running in, and instantly kept their eyes on the television.

And then the camera moved, and instead focused on someone else.

"I'm so glad we stole this camera…"

"Laharrrrrllllll…" Tomo seethed. Everyone heard her bend a spoon in one hand.

"Hmhmhmhmhm…" Laharl began. "Good evening to you all. Here we hold three girls, belonging to a few other girls we look to get revenge on. They may already know this, however, seeing as how we blew up their smart friends, and their beach house."

Shaun and Chiyo stood their, utterly shocked. So, now they knew who had tried to kill them…

"Wait, what does he mean by 'them'?" Joe asked.

"…But, needless to say, I didn't work alone." Laharl said. "I had a bit of help along the way."

Laharl redirected the Prinny holding the camera to focus on the other five that were standing close to Laharl.

"Allow me to introduce…"

"Tomozawa Shu" Sakaki said, hatred in her voice.

"Azami Nekoyasha" Joe said angrily.

"Rei Mitzuki" Kagura said, gritting her teeth hard.

"Kazu Kobayashi" Kaorin seethed.

Pan, on the other hand, began to have a panic attack.

"It's her…IT'S HER!!" Pan said, pointing to the samurai that was there.

"What's her?" Osaka asked.

"She's the one who killed my parents!! It's her!!!" Pan screamed.

Everyone got their first look at Yukishiro.

Pan began to cry in terror.

"There, there, it's ok…" Osaka said, pulling and holding Pan close.

"Osaka, Arata, you stay here with Pan." Joe said, standing up. "The rest of us…we go out there and rescue our kids!"

"Why do we need to stay?" Osaka asked.

"Because…" Joe said, making eye contact with Osaka. "You're pregnant. Any threat on your life is a threat on your baby's life. Arata, we need you to watch over her and Pan. Pan…" Joe looked down at the frightened girl. "…your parents died protecting you. Let's make sure you stay protected"

Pan looked downward in embarrassment. She actually wanted to help, but the battlefield wasn't exactly her place…

"Ok, do any of you guys have any sort of weapons at your houses?" Joe asked.

"I do!" Kaorin, Yomi, and Tomo all said.

Another moment of awkward silence.

"Um…ok, then…" Joe said. "All of you, head back to your houses, grab the weapons, and come back here."

The three of them quickly ran out of the house to go grab their weapons.

"Tanaka, do you have anything?" Joe asked.

Sakaki shook her head. She really wasn't a fighter, so she didn't really have weapons…

"That's ok…" Joe said with a slight smile. "I have enough for both of us."

Joe walked into his room, and a few moments later, came back out with two boxes. He kneeled down, set the boxes down on the floor, and opened up the top one.

"Pens?" Chiyo asked.

"Not just any pens." Joe said, smiling evilly. "Class four pen grenades. Two boxes with one hundred pens in each box."

"Woah…" Sakaki replied in awe.

"Dude, you keep grenades in your house?!" Shaun yelled.

"Well, sure." Joe said like it was obvious. "As long as they don't accidentally go off, we're fine."

Shaun and Chiyo sweat-dropped.

Sakaki walked right up to him, kneeled down, and put one hand on his shoulder.

"I'm glad you have these for this situation, but once this is over, I want them out of the house." Sakaki said sternly.

Joe laughed a bit. "Ok, I understand."

Joe suddenly stared off into space for a moment, as if he had suddenly gotten an idea.

He quickly kissed Sakaki. "Thank you."

He then stood up. "Shaun, take these pens, I'll meet up with you guys later." and with that, he ran out the door. "And don't start without me!!" They heard him yell.

…

Sakaki, Chiyo, Kagura, and Shaun all stood there, watching the TV until the other girls came back. Up to that point, Laharl just continued to monologue.

Then the four went outside, as Yomi and Tomo were the first to come back.

"So, what do you have?" Chiyo asked.

Tomo pulled off her shirt, revealing a bulletproof vest underneath.

"I know it's not a weapon, but it will definitely help." Tomo said seriously.

"I've got this." Yomi held up a brass knuckle.

"Wait, that's a left-handed one…" Tomo said.

"I know" Yomi said back, before putting it on her left hand. "Hey, Tomo, try to tick me off."

Tomo stared in a slight fear at Yomi's left fist. "I get it now…"

"So, where's Kaorin?" Yomi asked.

"Behind you." Kaorin said.

Everyone turned to see Kaorin standing there, her weapon of choice in hand.

"A shovel?" Chiyo asked.

"Yes, a shovel." Kaorin said. "This is how I kept a lot of those guys away that used to hit on Sakaki-san in college."

"Oh….well, that explains why they never called me back." Sakaki said.

Everyone sweat-dropped.

"It's been a while since I've wielded a shovel…" Kaorin continued, lifting the shovel up and down in her hands. "I wonder if I still remember how…"

"Wield? What do you mean 'wield'?" Shaun asked.

Kaorin began to twirl the shovel around her body and through the air, as if she had been wielding a shovel for years. She twirled it around her hand, around her body, finally putting it up in the air, twirling it, then putting it spade-end down on the ground, all within a mere matter of seconds.

"Woah…" Everybody responded, mouths wide open.

Kagura got a gushing nosebleed.

_That…is SO hot_, Kagura thought.

"So…" They heard Laharl say on the TV, which got their attention.

They quickly ran back inside, and watched the TV from behind the couch. Osaka, Pan, and Arata were sitting on the couch.

…

"Now, we get to the main event…" Laharl began.

Suddenly, Azami bounced up against Laharl.

"Hold on a moment, Laharl…" Azami said. She looked slightly angry. "Now, you've been living in my house for almost a week now, and I just want to know one thing…"

A moment of silence passed, as everybody waited for Azami's question.

"WHY THE HELL DO YOU PEE ON THE SEAT?!"

…

Everyone stood stunned at the question. Well, except for one person…

"See?! She knows my pain!!" Tomo yelled.

Everyone sweat-dropped.

…

Laharl sighed.

"It's complicated. Look, even if I tried to explain it, you would still probably whine about it…" Laharl began.

"No no!!" Azami interrupted. "I think I speak for every last woman on the planet when I say 'I think we really want to know just why men tend to pee on the seat'."

"So, c'mon, let's here it…" Azami said. Laharl stared on angrily.

Then he looked like he'd had enough.

…

"Now, finally, I get some answers…" Tomo said anxiously.

…

"Well, my fine feline friend…" Laharl began. "You see, when MEN go to take a PEE, they SPRAY it out of their WEINER, and the URINE becomes a powerful STREAM, which BLASTS into the toilet water and SPLASHES on impact. That's happens to go in completely random directions! Also when the URINE comes out of a man's PEEHOLE, it separates for some reason into a bunch of little STREAMS which also happen to go in random directions! Furthermore…"

"OK, ok, ok!! Enough already!!" Azami interrupted. "Ugh, gross…!"

…

"Well, did you get your answer?" Yomi asked Tomo.

Everybody else's face stayed in the 'stunned' position.

…

"Oh, yeah…" Laharl added. He looked into the camera. "For those of you women out there watching this, I hope this EXPLAINS CRAP FOR YOU, LEAVE US GUYS ALONE ON THIS MATTER!!! GOD!!"

…

"Well, I'm done…" Tomo said.

"That's…just gross…" Sakaki said.

"Ok, let's get there, and we'll wait for Joe there!" Shaun said.

And everyone except for Osaka, Pan, and Arata left.

_Good luck, guys…_ Pan thought.

_And please…save my sister…_

…

Author's notes: This was made to be more of a funny chapter before the seriousness of battle begins.

So, I hope it worked out that way!!

Next Chapter: The Revenge Begins


	94. The Revenge Begins

The Revenge Begins

Note: All Prinnies mentioned within are cosplayers.

…

So now, Tomo, Yomi, Kagura, Kaorin, Shaun and Chiyo now sat about two blocks back from where Laharl and the rest were.

But it seemed like the opposing group had been preparing for them.

Laharl, Azami, Yukishiro, Rei, Tomozawa, Kazu, and the three Azu-kids, still handcuffed to their chairs, sat right in the dead center of a Tokyo block. And surrounding them on all four roads, were lots and lots of Prinnies.

Meanwhile, a news helicopter circled overhead.

…

"It would seem that reports state over 1000 prinnies have gathered around this little group." The announcer said from the helicopter. "And at this point, the police are unable to do anything because of three little girls who are being held hostage right in the center of it…"

The camera zoomed in on the still tied Koharu, Nekosa, and Koyomiko.

"We've also received reports of…OHMYGODLOOKOUT!!!"

Suddenly, the camera went weaving, as a rocket came shooting by.

"Get us out of here!!" The reporter yelled, and the helicopter flew off.

"Can't stand up to the bazooka, dood." The Prinny who had launched a bazooka shot at the helicopter said.

…

_Man, oh, man, things have really gone crazy here since those guys took over the central area_, Iceman thought.

He was sitting in a prison, in an area where many of the guards usually sit. He had decided to go there to watch the hostage situation, because he felt his presence would be needed there most.

None of the police officers could do anything at this point. There were just too many Prinnies…

"Hey, open up the jail, I'm gonna check on the prisoners." Iceman said.

One of the guard's obliged, and Iceman walked into the prison.

_Well, at least a few of the crazies are off the streets right now…_Iceman thought, as he walked past the many people locked up.

Then he noticed one cell that was wide open.

_Oh, no…Please…let it be a mass murder…or a crazy psychopath…_Iceman thought in slight panic.

…

The Prinny who was controlling the camera that had been stolen from a newsgroup now turned it back to Laharl and the rest of the main group.

"Now…" Laharl said. "…the revenge begins."

"Finally!" Rei, Tomozawa, and Kazu all said.

"So, first we'll start with you…" Laharl said, looking at Koyomiko.

He set down a boombox in front of Koyomiko, and pushed 'Play'. It started playing every last annoying catchphrase, from Naruto's 'Believe it' to AOL's 'You've got mail', over and over again.

Meanwhile, Yukishiro would be in charge of revenge to the other two.

Yukishiro uncuffed Koharu, and then pulled out her katana, and put it by Nekosa's neck.

"Walk forward." Yukishiro said with a cold tone.

Koharu stared at her for a moment, wishing she could break Yukishiro's neck.

She then began walking away from her friends. When Koharu was a good 2 meters away, Yukishiro put her sword away.

Koharu watched one man run off, leaving two standing there. One girl, and one man with his hands in his pockets, and they were both smiling evilly.

"So, who are you two?" Koharu asked.

"I'm Rei. This is Kazu. And we hate your parents." The girl said. "So, we're going to get revenge on them…by beating the crap out of you!"

Koharu stood there for a moment, before she burst out laughing. Rei and Kazu, however, continued smiling.

"You…two?! Only you?!" Koharu said, laughing loudly. "Maybe…maybe if the whole penguin army behind you joined in you could beat me. But that's maybe!"

Koharu stood up and took a defensive stance, now filled with a sense of determination. She was going to beat these two down, then take down Yukishiro.

"First up, they're prinnies, not penguins." Kazu pointed out, still maintaining that evil smile. "Second of all, I think that the both of us are more than a challenge for you."

Koharu began walking up to the two, punching her own empty hand menacingly.

"Here I come, then!" Koharu screamed out, as she ran towards the two, fully ready for anything they had.

Except Kazu, who had had his hands in his pockets the entire time.

Kazu pulled his hands out of his pockets, bent down slightly, and thrust one of them right into Koharu.

BZZZZZZT!!

Koharu had no idea what hit her, and she fell to the ground. Rei took the opportunity to kick Koharu in the cheek. Koharu turned herself over, and tried to get up, but Kazu kicked her in the side.

"You should stay down." Kazu pointed out, smiling evilly.

Koharu looked up, and got a look at what Kazu had in his hand. It was a very small device, something she couldn't recognize.

"Wh…what is that?" Koharu gasped out.

"Oh, this?" Kazu asked, lifting up the item in his hand. "It's a tazer. Can put down a 275 lb. man with ease."

So, that's what it was. Now Koharu understood why it had stunned her like that. If 275 lbs went down that easily, what chance did she have against it?

Kazu pushed the button that caused the thing to rev back up, and put it right on Koharu's back. Koharu was stunned once more, and the two started kicking at her furiously.

"Koharu-chan!!" Nekosa screamed out.

…

Laharl noticed how Koyomiko had remained unflinching toward the annoying phrases. He stopped the CD.

"You call that torture? My Mama went through a phase where she did that to annoy my Kaa-san." Koyomiko said, obviously unaffected.

"Hm…well, then, let's try something new…" Laharl said with an evil smile.

Laharl pulled a CD case out of his pocket, and switched out the CD for something far more evil than catchphrases…

Country music.

…

Then a sound was heard. A sound that would only ever scare Nekosa at a time like this.

The sound of a barking dog.

Tomozawa came around the corner, holding on to a Doberman Pincher by the leash.

Nekosa's eyes widened, and her cat side took over. She wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.

Yukishiro nodded to Tomozawa. Yukishiro undid Nekosa's handcuffs, and Tomozawa let the dog go.

The dog immediately went running after the cat it smelled AKA Nekosa. Nekosa took off running, her cat instincts taking over.

Then she reached the wall of prinnies, and stopped. It was just as bad as reaching a dead end.

The dog immediately grabbed onto Nekosa by the shoulder with its teeth. Nekosa screamed out in pain.

…

"Nekosa!!" Sakaki gasped, her motherly instincts suddenly kicking up a storm.

…

The dog threw Nekosa to the pavement behind it, Nekosa hitting the pavement face down and first. The bite had been so hard it was now bleeding. Tears ran down Nekosa's face.

The dog then pounced, and landed so that it now stood right above Nekosa.

"Softy, stay!" Tomozawa shouted.

The dog waited above Nekosa, growling with its teeth bared.

"You see, Nekosa?" Nekosa heard. "This is what happens to you when you choose the wrong mother."

Nekosa looked up to see Azami standing a few feet away, smiling evilly.

Nekosa wanted to say something…anything. But she couldn't. That dog standing above her could very easily bite down at any given moment. And she was horribly frightened.

…

Kagura, Kaorin, and Sakaki were being held back by Shaun, Chiyo, and Yomi, respectively.

"C'mon, you guys!!" Shaun kept yelling. "You just have to hold it together!"

"That's easy for you to say!" Kagura retorted.

"You don't have a kid out there, being tortured by those jerks!!" Kaorin yelled, shovel in hand.

At that precise moment, Joe came running up, Madoka right behind him.

"Hey, guys…" Joe said, pulling off a backpack he had been carrying. He opened it up. "Look, I've got secret soda's!"

"It's about time you got here!" Kagura yelled angrily. Suddenly, all emotions were lost as she noticed the girl behind Joe. "Who's that?"

"It's Madoka. She'll be helping us, along with everyone else." Joe said, a grin on his face.

"Everyone…else?" Sakaki asked.

Joe looked back at Madoka, who spoke into a walkie-talkie.

"Team AD ready." Madoka said.

…

If you were looking above the battlefield, and looking to the left another two blocks down, another team was forming there.

Formed up behind Yayoi were Mako, Tommy, and Satsuki Gokajou, along with Kisaragi Ninomai, Uzuki Shitenno, and Kanna Togakushi.

"Now remember, Tommy, you have to announce all of Mako's moves," Satsuki said, wearing a big smile. "Daichi's got some big bets wagered on him."

"You got it!" Tommy said, giving Satsuki a big thumbs up.

Yayoi looked back, and noticed both Kisaragi and Uzuki were holding large clubbing objects.

"What are you two holding?" Yayoi asked.

"I'm dressed up as the club-to-death angel Dokuro-chan!" Uzuki said. Her large clubbing object was a bat with spikes on it.

Everybody then looked at Kisaragi.

"Prinny crusher, Version 1.0" Kisaragi said.

"But…it's just a hammer…" Mako said.

Yayoi sighed, and turned her attention back to the walkie.

"Team HL ready" Yayoi said.

"This is going to be fun…" Kanna said. "Mahohohohohoho!"

"Kanna-san, what is with your laugh?" Kisaragi asked.

Kanna sighed. "I've been hanging around a certain girl a bit too much…"

"MAHO!!!" Was heard being screamed into the walkie.

…

"God, Himeko, quiet down!!" Rebbeca yelled.

Looking from above, two blocks up top from the battlefield was Rebecca Miyamoto, followed by Himeko, Miyako, Ichijo, and (to everyone's surprise) Mesousa.

"Team PPD, ready!" Becky said into the walkie.

…

And finally to the right of the battlefield (looking, again, from above) Motoko moved herself into position. Following her was Kaolla Su, Shinobu, and Naru.

"Stole my little student, will they?" Naru said, cracking her knuckles. "We'll see about that…"

(_wolf whistle_) "Mecha Tama-chan 42 is ready to go!" Su piped up.

"Kidnapping kids just isn't nice!" Shinobu said. "I'm ready to fight!"

Motoko smiled. "Team LH ready"

…

"Cool, now to just set the signal…" Joe said.

…

But while all of this was happening, Koharu was still getting beaten up on, and Nekosa was still getting bitten and picked on by the dog.

Now, finally, Laharl walked up to Koyomiko, who was still handcuffed to her chair.

"What the hell?!" Laharl said.

"You call THAT annoying? My Kaa-san sings way worse than that!" Koyomiko said, displaying a little grin. Already she was winning, and she could tell.

"That's it, kid!!" Laharl screamed. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this, but now you leave me no choice!!"

Laharl snapped his fingers. Prinnies came, removed the boombox, and moved up a TV with a DVD player hooked up to it, with a VERY long extension cord running off of the battlefield.

"This thing…comes from the very bowels of Hell itself…" Laharl said evilly, pulling a DVD case out of his pocket.

He popped it into the DVD player, and began playing.

Koyomiko's eyes went wide, and fear overtook her entire body, as the title showed up on the screen.

"Disney Presents: High School Musical meets Hanna Montana."

"MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Koyomiko screamed out.

…

"That's it!! We gotta go now!!" Tomo yelled, her motherly instincts taking over.

"Wait!" Joe yelled, but it was all too late.

The mothers had had enough. They were going to charge, and their was nothing that could stop them.

Except…for one returning theme song…

_Your life is over now, your life is running out, when your time is at an end, then it's time to kill again!_

"The Theme song!" Kagura and Kaorin said in unison.

"But…she's supposed to be in prison!" Kaorin said in shock.

_Wake up without a life, we live in black and white, you're just a parasite, now close your eyes and say goodnight…_

Everything almost just seemed to stand still right before…

That famous silver car came screaming around the corner by Team LH.

_You'd better get ready to DIE!! (Get ready to DIE!!)_

The car drove through one group of prinnies, each Prinny making a sickening "Thud!" as it was hit by the car.

"HELL YEAH!!" Yukari screamed out.

_You'd better get ready to KILL! (Get ready to KILL!!_)

The silver car drove right through the center of the group. Yukishiro jumped right in front of it, then jumped upwards.

(_RECORD SCRATCH!!_)

Yukari watched in her rear-view mirror as Yukishiro landed on the ground (on both feet)

As the Yukari-mobile drove through the second group of prinnies (the one's closest to Team HL), and exited, the passenger's side suddenly decided to take a right turn, while the driver's side continued going forward.

A man with brown, curly hair jumped out of the passenger's side, right before it went straight into a building and exploded.

The driver's side went a few feet, before falling over on the window-side.

Yukari managed to lift herself out. But as she stepped down on the road, she fell to her knees, tears running down her face.

"My…beautiful…vehicle…" Yukari said sadly.

"There's no time for that now!! We gotta get you out of here!" The man yelled, as he picked Yukari up, and hauled butt out of there.

Everybody stood there for a moment, trying to take everything in that just happened.

Then it suddenly hit one person in particular.

"Guys!! This is our chance!!" Joe yelled, both into the walkie and at his own guys. "Tomo! Kagura!! Soda's, now! Chiyo, child form, then sodas!! And everyone…!" he opened up his boxes. "Take these, and use 'em all up!! Everyone, attack!!!!"

…

Author's notes: So, yeah, Yukari escaped from prison, and the Azu-kids are finally going to be rescued from their torturous situations.

Anyway, in case you couldn't tell, the team initials stand for the Anime (Team AD Team Azu-Daioh, etc.) but I don't think they know that.

Once again, that song sung is "Ready to Die" by Andrew W.K.

The battle begins in the next chapter!! So quick, go there!!

Next Chapter: The Ultimate battle!!


	95. The Ultimate battle

The Ultimate Battle!!

Rated 'M' for curse words used by the bad guys

…

All four groups, cramming in from all four directions at once, came charging in.

…

Team HL

…

Uzuki was having far too much fun with the spiked bat. She was chasing a group of prinnies around.

"C'mon!! I gotta club you!!" Uzuki whined, chasing them about.

Kisaragi, on the other hand, had very easily knocked out 20-30 prinnies on her own, once the hammer she was carrying suddenly grew into a VERY large hammer.

Kanna was driving a giant robot around, stepping on prinnies as she went.

"Hohohohoho!!" Kanna laughed. "Science conquers all!"

Two prinnies were watching another one get crushed right in between the boobs of Satsuki.

The prinny fell to the ground, dizzy-eyed.

"That…was both painful and pleasurable, dood…" he managed to say.

"So, who's next?" Satsuki asked, moving herself to the next two prinnies.

Meanwhile, Tommy continued to announce for Mako.

"He's got one in a half-nelson." Tommy announced. "Now he's got one in a full nelson. Oh no, and now it's the dreaded Willie Nelson!!"

"How the hell did I get involved in this?" Willie asked.

"Better watch out, he sings country!" Mako warned.

"DOOOOOOOOOD!!!" The prinnies ran away, screaming at the top of their lungs.

Yayoi took the opportunity to run towards the center.

…

Team PPD

…

Prinnies surrounded the group, save for Mesousa, who had been backed into an alleyway.

"So, how do we get out of this one?" Becky asked, hoping for someone to come up with an idea.

"I have an idea!!" Himeko cried.

"Anyone else?" Becky asked sullenly.

(_bell chime)_ "I do…" Ichijo replied in her weird voice. She immediately removed the bandanna off of Miyako's forehead.

"Hey!" Miyako yelled.

Light immediately went everywhere.

"Dood!! I'm blind, dood!!" One prinny yelled, covering his eyes with his flippers.

The light then vanished, and once the prinnies could see, every last prinny surrounding the group began to sweat with fear.

Ichijo had guns. Lots of guns. Lots and lots of guns. And they all seemed to be attached to her back.

"So…ya feel lucky…punks?" Ichijo asked.

Every last prinny ran away screaming "DOOOOOOD!"

Ichijo then removed Miyako's bandanna again.

Light went everywhere, blinding those that looked.

By now, Miyako was peeved. "Hey, what the heck's your problem Ichi…." She covered her head, revealing that all of the guns were gone. "…jo?"

"Where'd the guns go?" Becky asked.

"What guns?" Ichijo asked.

Meanwhile, Mesousa was backed up into a corner, fear showing on his poor face.

"This is easy, dood." The prinny in the front said. "What a useless rabbit."

_No…_Mesousa thought. _I shall be a useless rabbit…no more!_

Mesousa suddenly stood straight up, with a determined look on his face.

He put his hands together, and bowed.

(_Gong!)_

What came next was a fury of kicks and punches from Mesousa suddenly showing off moves from Ju jitsu, Kung Fu, and Tie Kwon Doe.

Mesousa punched the last prinny in the group, knocking him down to the ground.

Mesousa stood straight once more, put his hands together, and bowed.

(_Gong!)_

…

Team LH

…

Naru was slugging every last prinny that came close, while Shinobu was fighting them off with a frying pan.

But they were now being backed up by the massive amount of prinnies.

Suddenly, a missile came flying in behind Naru and Shinobu, exploding as it hit the ground in front of the prinnies.

"Hahaha!!" Su laughed maniacally. "No one cans stand up to the power of Mecha-Tama 42!"

"When are you going to stop building those things?!" Naru yelled back to her.

Motoko used the sudden opening to run into the center of the battlefield.

…

Finally, Team AD

…

Tomo, Kagura, Joe, and Chiyo all guzzled down one can of super soda. Then everyone except for Chiyo went running out.

Yomi immediately showed off her abilities with the brass knuckle on her left hand, by upper cutting any prinny that came close.

Kaorin immediately came in swinging her shovel. And every time it would hit a prinny, a sickening 'Clang!' would be heard.

Kagura made a straight run toward's the prinnies, punching a few of them out of the way, just trying to make her way to the center of things.

Joe and Tomo sat back from this for a moment.

"Ya feel it?" Joe asked.

"Yup." Tomo said seriously.

Then Chiyo took off from the ground, flying straight upwards.

"Let's do this!!" They both said at the same time.

The two charged at the group of prinnies in front of them, and jumped. Then they ran towards the center, simply stepping on the heads of the prinnies to get there.

Kagura gave another punch to a prinny, only this one was super juiced. It sent the prinny flying into his brethren, knocking them all down.

"Kaorin!! Let's go!!" Kagura yelled. Kagura and Kaorin then made a b-line straight for the center through the line that Kagura had just created. Madoka also saw the opportunity, and dashed along with them.

Meanwhile, Shaun, Sakaki, and Yomi was stuck simply trying to get past the prinnies.

"Dang it…" Shaun grumbled, his teeth and fists clenched in anger. The wall of prinnies had reformed, and now the three were trapped behind it.

Then suddenly, pens fell out of the sky and hit the ground in front of the prinny group.

"Dood?" One of them asked.

BOOBOOBOOBOOBOOBOOBOOM!!

All of the pen grenades went off all at once, and many of the prinnies in front were knocked back.

Shaun, Sakaki, and Yomi looked up to find Chiyo flying overhead.

"Way to go, Chiyo!!" Shaun called out.

Sakaki then had an idea. She quickly ran back to the block where they had all been hidden beforehand, and grabbed a bunch of pen grenades for herself.

Then, one at a time, she would click a pen three times, and toss it into the group of prinnies, each one going further than the others, but all of them within a line of each other.

The prinnies would jump back from the pens as they hit the ground, then…

BOOM!!

But this is what Sakaki had been planning for, she quickly ran through the line she had created to get to the center of battle.

"Well, let's knock out the rest of these bad boys, then get to that battle ourselves!!" Shaun said, cracking his knuckles.

"I'm with you…" Yomi said, grinning evilly, and holding up her left fist, with the brass knuckle still on it.

…

Joe immediately aimed his sights on Azami.

"So, the spineless man has come to face me on…" Azami said, grinning evilly.

Joe returned an evil grin.

"Well, let's see what you've got" Azami said, taking a fighters stance.

And Joe surprised her with ease by suddenly pushing off, and elbowing her right in the face, knocking her to the ground.

Azami grabbed her face right where Joe had hit her, and stood back up.

"You…little…bastard!!" Azami screamed angrily.

"First off, my parents were married when I was conceived." Joe said, grinning a bit at his own joke. Then the grin disappeared. "Second…I will make you pay for what you did to my face that day."

Joe pushed of again.

…

Tomo immediately went running right at Laharl.

"Hm…" Laharl said, smiling evilly. "So, she wishes to come at me, does she?"

Tomo instead blew right by Laharl, the wind causing his cape to blow up behind him.

"What the…?" Laharl whipped around to find that Tomo had instead run up to Koyomiko, and kneeled down by her chair.

"Koyomiko?" Tomo asked, her voice soft.

Koyomiko was unresponsive. Her face read total horror, and her eyes were glued to the TV behind Tomo.

Tomo turned around, but only for a second before whipping herself back around.

"Gah!!" Tomo yelled. "What sort of sick, twisted movie is this?!"

Tomo reached behind herself without looking, and pushed 'Stop' on the DVD player.

"Koyomiko?" Tomo asked again.

And once again, Koyomiko was unresponsive.

"Hm…hmhmhmhmhm…" Laharl laughed evilly. "It would seem that your daughter has totally lost her mind to that horrid DVD."

Tomo ignored Laharl, and checked Koyomiko. She was still breathing, but her pulse was slow, and her face still read horror.

Tomo could already feel a tear run down her face. But that sadness soon turned to anger as she stood up and turned to Laharl.

"You…" Tomo growled, her hands and teeth clenching up. "Making me cry is one thing. Messing my friends wedding up is something else. But when you mess with my daughter, you'll come to fear the name 'Tomo Takino'!!!"

"Ha!" Laharl retorted. "We'll just see how well that goes…"

Laharl reached behind his back, and grabbed the sword handle, but didn't pull it out. Then with the other hand, he egged Tomo on. "Come and get some then!"

…

Kagura and Kaorin both ran up, and stopped a few feet from Rei and Kazu.

"Rei!" Kagura called out angrily. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious, Kagura?" Rei said, a big evil grin on her face. "I'm getting my revenge for that Christmas day."

"The same could be said for me to you, Kaorin." Kazu said. "I'll never forget how you made me lose all my money that day."

"Kazu, you deserved it!" Kaorin called out. "Those kids were orphans, and you were just sending them off like they were worthless!!"

"Because they were!!" Kazu called back. "Were they making me any money? No!!"

"You heartless…" Kaorin said angrily, tightening her grip on her shovel handle and clenching her teeth.

"Where's Koharu?!" Kagura yelled out.

"Oh…you mean her?" Rei asked, pointing to a face-down body on the ground right at her feet.

…

Sakaki came running in, and skidded to a halt when she came face to face with a familiar one.

"Tomozawa…" Sakaki grumbled.

"Ah, Sakaki, it's been too long." Tomozawa shot back.

"Where's Nekosa?" Sakaki asked.

"Who?" Tomozawa asked, making it obvious that he was just acting to get on her nerves.

"Nekosa!! My daughter!!" Sakaki yelled.

"Oh, you mean her?" Tomozawa asked, pointing behind him.

Sakaki looked, and gasped loudly, even covering her mouth with one hand.

Nekosa was lying on the ground, all bloody. And standing above her was a very large Doberman Pincher.

"Why?..." Was all Sakaki could get out.

"Why, you ask? For putting me in prison four years ago, that's why!!" Tomozawa shot back angrily.

Sakaki looked angrily into Tomozawa's eyes.

"You mean you attacked my daughter with a dog all because you were punished for something you did?!" Sakaki asked angrily.

"mmm…not quite that way, more like "I attacked your daughter with a dog because you had me locked up in prison." Tomozawa said. "And you punched me in the chin and got away with it."

Sakaki could feel her rage boiling.

…

Madoka, Yayoi, and Motoko jumped straight inbetween all these battles that were going on to face the one person that they had joined together to fight in the first place.

"So, you're the dark force that we must fight…" Madoka said, as she drew her katana.

Motoko and Yayoi also drew their katanas.

"My name is Yukishiro" she said, smiling and drawing her katana as well. "I haven't had a good challenge in a long time."

…

Author's notes: Well, I'm ending it here, because the entire next chapter is the finishing part of the battle…

Let's hope the parent's can win!!

Next Chapter: Mess with the kids, You get the Parents


	96. Mess with the kids, you get the parents

Mess with the kids, You get the parents

…

Despite all of the encounters from the parents, no one seemed to be paying attention to the two prinnies who were still manning the bazooka.

The back prinny loaded up another rocket.

"Fire, dood!!" the prinny yelled.

The bazooka fired, aimed right at the flying Chiyo.

"GAH!" Chiyo yelled, steering herself to just barely avoid the bazooka shot.

The bazooka exploded in air, causing Chiyo to lose her balance in flying.

Chiyo screamed as she fell to the ground, a smoke trail following her to the ground…

She hit, but what she hit…it seemed a whole lot softer than the hard cement…

She looked up to see she had landed on Shaun's body, and the both of them were now on the ground.

"Got ya," Shaun said.

Chiyo smiled at him. "Nice catch."

But both of them looked up to find that they were surrounded by prinnies.

"Fun time, dood…" one of the prinnies said, cracking his flippers.

The HL and LH team, who had finished off their prinnies with ease, suddenly came running in, and started wailing on every last prinny in sight.

"Lucky break…" Chiyo said with a slight smile.

"Definitely" Shaun said.

"Dood, load up another rocket!" One of the prinnies in the center said.

Before the other could, however, Mako came up, and put that particular prinny in a chokehold.

"Dood?" The prinny with the bazooka turned to find his partner on the ground, Mako having just choked the crap out of him.

"D-d-d-dood…" the prinny said, shaking and sweating in fear.

"Now it's your turn…" Mako said evilly.

…

Tomo stared at Laharl, who had his hand behind his back, and was egging her on.

Tomo reached into her pocket, and took hold of something inside of it.

"OK then, Laharl." Tomo said in a serious tone. "Let's finish this."

Tomo pushed off, dashing right at Laharl.

_Gotcha_, Laharl thought.

Laharl quickly pulled his sword out, and slashed sideways, cutting Tomo right in half.

Well, if Tomo had been there, anyway…

Right as Tomo was about to be slashed, she just vanished.

"What the…?" Laharl looked around, but couldn't see Tomo at all.

A weird noise was suddenly heard. It made everyone stop fighting, and look over at Laharl.

Laharl could feel something. He could feel…an indescribable amount of…

"1000 YEARS OF PAIN!!!" Tomo yelled.

Laharl jumped in the air, screaming at the top of his lungs. He landed, running around with one hand on his butt. Then he felt something else…

"Tomo…" Joe said quietly, his eyes wide. "You didn't…"

She did.

KABOOM!!!

The thing Tomo had grabbed hold of in her pocket had been a pen grenade. She had clicked three times behind Laharl (so quiet he hadn't heard) then proceeded to shove it up his rectum.

And so, Laharl's death: Class 4 Pen Grenade shoved up the butt by 1000 years of pain.

Tomo stood there, not showing any sign of regret in her face.

This moment stood still in time.

Tomo walked over, and un-cuffed Koyomiko, which caused everyone else to pick back up.

Tomo stared a moment at the stunned Koyomiko's face.

A tear ran down Tomo's face. She pulled her child in close, and gave her a hug.

…

Kagura and Kaorin turned their focus back to Rei and Kazu.

"So, I'm guessing this is yours, huh? Lesbian Kagura?" Rei asked. She then proceeded to kick the face-down Koharu.

Kagura couldn't hold back anymore. She came full force at Rei, her right fist flying for Rei's face.

Rei held up her left hand, and caught Kagura's fist.

However, something never occurred to Rei. Kagura still had the soda effect. Not only was Kagura invincible, she had super strength.

Rei couldn't stop Kagura's fist. Rei's own hand came back, and hit her square in the left cheek.

Rei went flying in a straight line, slamming hard into a wall a few blocks down the road, then falling to the ground, totally unconscious.

Kazu looked back at Rei, then looked at Kagura, totally panicked.

CLANG!!

Kazu fell to the ground, totally knocked out. While Kazu had been focused on Kagura, Kaorin had hit him over the head with a shovel.

Kagura and Kaorin dropped to their knees, and turned their daughter over, so her face was upwards. And the both of them gasped loudly.

From what they could see, Koharu had a left black eye. Her right cheek was swelled up, and bruising, with a trickle of blood running down from the right corner of her mouth. The rest of her body was just as badly beaten up, with her clothes also looking torn and ripped.

Rei and Kazu had done their worst to her, and it was obvious.

Koharu opened her one good eye a little bit. "N-natsuko…mama?"

Kagura picked up Koharu, and hugged her tightly, tears running down Kagura's cheeks.

Kaorin joined in the hug, tears running down her cheeks as well.

"I'm…sorry….I…lost…" Koharu said quietly, before passing out.

This statement just caused Kagura and Kaorin to cry harder.

…

Sakaki stood her ground against Tomozawa. And Sakaki knew that the more time she took taking on Tomozawa, the more time that dog had Nekosa to itself.

Sakaki prepped herself to attack.

"AAAAAAAAAH!!!" Two figures came flying out of nowhere, and landed right on Tomozawa, knocking him to the ground.

"Miruchi! Yuka-chan!!" Sakaki exclaimed.

"Go save that girl! We've got him!" Yuka yelled from Tomozawa's back. She had both of his arms pinned against his back.

Sakaki immediately followed the orders, and ran past Tomozawa.

"Oh, and by the way…" Miruchi said evilly. "Payback…is hell…"

She then grabbed one of Tomozawa's legs, and began to bend it backwards, too far for the leg to bend.

"OWOWOWOW!! YOU'RE GONNA BREAK IT!!" Tomozawa screamed.

"That's the idea…" Miruchi said evilly.

"You got your revenge, Tomozawa, we're getting ours." Yuka added.

…

Sakaki ran straight to where Nekosa was lying down, and stopped a few feet back. The big Doberman Pincher stood above Nekosa, growling and baring its teeth.

Sakaki had had it now. Never before had she felt this kind of anger, this kind of rage…

SMACK!!

Sakaki smacked the dog hard on the nose.

"Bad dog!!" She yelled.

The dog looked utterly confused. When it had first read Sakaki's eyes, it really hadn't seen the smack coming.

"You'd better back off…" Sakaki warned. "I'm a vet. I know how to neuter you."

The dog seemed to understand this statement, because it immediately ran away, yelping all the way.

Sakaki picked up Nekosa. There was blood all over Nekosa's shirt, probably being her own. Sakaki noticed that Nekosa's nails had been trimmed, so Nekosa couldn't even defend herself against the dog attack, and her body bared the marks to prove it.

Sakaki pulled Nekosa in close, praying that her daughter would be ok.

…

Azami was boiling mad.

The battle had gone on for a few minutes now, and she still could only land light scratches on this guy.

Joe was moving too fast for Azami to keep up. He was giving her punches, kickes, and all Azami had been able to do thus far had been a few light scratches (so light they didn't even bleed).

Joe jumped out of Azami's reach as she slashed all around her in a pure rage.

KATHUMP-THUMP-THUMP!

_No, no, no! Not now!!_ Joe thought.

The secret soda wore off. Now the side effect kicked in. Joe suddenly felt like he had run a marathon.

He had to stop to breathe. Suddenly his muscles in his legs ached.

Azami's seized the opportunity, and punched Joe straight in the face. Joe fell backwards, landing hard on his back.

Azami then jumped onto his stomach, causing him to lose all the air he had been trying to store up. Azami's final attack would be extending her claws, and, aiming for Joe's neck, swing them straight downwards.

Joe managed to catch both hands with his own, but he didn't have much strength left. The claws were very slowly coming down on his neck.

"What's the matter there, you spineless man?" Azami asked.

Joe's eyes began to water, as he continued to try his hardest to keep the claws away from his neck. He locked eyes with Azami.

"What's the matter?" Azami asked evilly. "Finally realizing that I am the only true mother of Nekosa, and that in fact you are nothing but a foolish human who is just posing as her father? Face it! You can't beat me, not as an everyday…"

Azami stopped mid-sentence, as her world began to spin.

Joe got an evil grin on his face.

…

In the battle against Yukishiro, Madoka suddenly sensed something.

"What is this dark power I sense?" Madoka wondered.

She jumped back from her current fight, and turned to see where this dark power was coming from.

…

"Didn't think I'd ever use these Sharingan contacts again…" Joe said, as he pushed the now dizzy Azami off of him. "Truth be told, I was kind of hoping I wouldn't have to, but you left me no choice, Azami."

"I shall save you!" Joe heard from behind. He turned to find Madoka charging at him.

"Evil Destruction!" Madoka yelled. Joe watched Madoka's katana pass right through his head. Then his eyes stung badly.

Joe closed his eyes, tears running down his face from the slight burning he now had in them. He slowly opened his eyes to find that his vision was blurred. He felt around on his eye for the contacts, but he couldn't find it. They were totally gone.

"What did you do?!" Joe yelled at Madoka.

"I have ridded the evil from your body." Madoka replied coolly.

"But I was using that evil to help me!!" Joe yelled.

"No evil should ever be used. You must find your own means to win." Madoka said, before running off to rejoin the battle against Yukishiro.

"But how the hell am I supposed to see now?!!" Joe yelled.

…

Madoka jumped in, swinging her katana to attack Yukishiro. Yukishiro blocked with ease, and jumped out of the way as Yayoi's sword came down.

"Fools" Yukishiro replied, a grin on her face. "I am far more powerful than you could ever hope to be."

"God's cry school special!!" Yukishiro turned to see life energy way up in the sky.

"SHIN LIGHTNING STRIKE!!!!" Yukishiro jumped out of the way as Motoko's attack came crashing down on the pavement below. The attack barely missed Yukishiro, and caused the pavement below to crack. Smoke went shooting up into the air.

Yukishiro was glad she could see life energy, because Madoka came swinging through that black smoke right at her.

Yukishiro blocked Madoka as she came running at her, but when the katana was supposed to make a 'clang' noise, it didn't. Instead, Madoka's life energy faded away.

"What the…?!"

"Madoka illusion" Modoka said behind her.

Yukishiro jumped into the air, just barely avoiding Madoka's swing.

Yayoi came running in at that point. Yukishiro managed to flip herself in the air to avoid the slice, but at a cost.

Yukishiro landed on the ground. Her blindness made her unable to see that her hair had been cut a good amount, and now only went down to her shoulder blades.

Yukishiro was getting mad. The three samurai she was facing had an advantage to her. She needed one of her own.

She looked around, and spotted the perfect target. Three different amounts of life energy.

"Zankousen!!" Yukishiro jumped out of the way of Motoko's attack, and charged straight at the three life energies.

"Kagura-san!! Kaori-san!! Look out!!" Madoka called out.

Kaorin and Kagura looked up to find Yukishiro charging right at them.

Kaorin picked up her shovel, and stood up to defend the three of them against Yukishiro.

But Kaorin had no idea what she was up against. Yukishiro swung her katana up and down a few times, slicing Kaorin's shovel into pieces in seconds, even while the shovel had been in Kaorin's hands.

Kaorin feel back on the ground on her butt, and quickly went to wrap her arms around Kagura and Koharu, as if to somehow protect them against this girl.

"At least if I die, I'll be taking one of my targets with me." Yukishiro replied coldly, as she raised her katana.

Kagura and Kaorin closed their eyes tightly. They both felt as if these would be their final moments…

The sword came down…

Kaorin and Kagura opened their eyes.

"Pan!!" They both gasped.

Pan had jumped right in front of the three, and had done a strike stopper on the katana.

Now, Yukishiro could have easily removed the sword from Pan's clutches, and cut her in half within a few seconds.

But, the two just stood frozen there.

Pan let go of the sword, and Yukishiro slowly brought the katana back to her side.

The two stared at each other for a moment.

"What are you doing?" Yukishiro asked coldly.

"I-i-i-i-I'm protecting my m-m-m-mother!" Pan said, her voice fearful.

Yukishiro picked up on this. Pan was afraid of her, yet she had fought all of her fears to jump in front of the three and protect them.

"And what of the girl?" Yukishiro asked, referring to Koharu. "She has taken your mother away from you. Surely you want her dead…"

"NO!!" Pan screamed. "She's m-m-my sister! And I l-l-like her!"

Yukishiro stared for another moment.

The three other samurai also stood frozen. They dare not make a move, for it seemed like Yukishiro was in conflict with her own emotions.

"Why?" Yukishiro asked. "Why do you like these people, even though you were not born of them? You were created by a corporation for the reason to kill."

"They don't want to be a part of that anymore." Kaorin responded.

"They just want to be loved, like normal kids." Kagura said, hugging the unconscious Koharu.

"But they are not normal" Yukishiro responded. "They are weapons, designed for the sole reason of killing…"

"I DON'T KILL!!" Pan yelled suddenly. Then the thought occurred to her. "B-b-but…you did…"

The shock on Yukishiro's face was immense. The sudden realization that she was doing precisely what the corporation had intended her to do in the first place hit Yukishiro harder than a ton of lead.

Yukishiro suddenly became filled with rage.

She raised her katana into the air, and swung it down.

Everyone froze.

Yukishiro's katana had frozen a few millimeters from Pan's head.

Then the katana harmlessly fell to the side, and Yukishiro fell to her hands and knees, and began to cry.

"I'm no better…no better than they were…" Yukishiro cried.

Yukishiro began to sob loudly.

The three other groups, along with Miruchi, Yuka, Shaun, and Chiyo all came to watch this.

Yomi came running up to Tomo to help check on Koyomiko. Tomo still had a very serious look on her face.

Yukishiro stopped at that moment, and looked back up at Pan.

"I know that…my apologies won't bring your parents back, but…" Yukishiro put her forehead to the cement in a deep bow. "Please forgive me."

Pan stood, shocked at what had just transpired in front of her.

Pan wiped away a tear that suddenly ran down her own face. "I…I forgive you."

Yukishiro's now hurt eyes stared back at Pan. "Thank you…"

Yukishiro took her katana in hand, and stood up.

"This corporation…has been all but destroyed…" Yukishiro said, staring off into the sky. "There are just a few more people…that need to be…'taken care of'…"

Yukishiro started walking in the direction of the airport. As she passed Kagura and Kaorin, still on the ground, she stopped and turned back.

"Little girl…" Yukishiro said to Pan. "May you live a long and happy life with your new parents."

And Yukishiro dashed off.

The three samurai put away their own katanas, and everyone relaxed, now that the battle had finally been won.

Suddenly, a bunch of police cars came speeding up, all lead by a blue BMW.

Iceman stepped out of the BMW.

"Has anyone seen Yukari?" Iceman asked.

"We did, but she ran off after her car was sliced in half…" Joe responded.

"Well, at least it's good to know she won't be driving for a while…" Iceman said. He looked around at the unconscious bodies of Tomozawa, Rei, and Kazu.

"And…I'm guessing these three need to be arrested?" Iceman asked.

"Three?" Joe said. "There should be one more…"

Joe looked over to where Azami should have been, only to see something blurry on the ground, which he guessed to be a pile of puke.

"It…can't be…" Joe said in utter awe. "She shouldn't have been unable to stand for at least an hour!"

"Cat-side, Joe…" Sakaki said, walking up to Joe with Nekosa in her arms. "Cats can regain their balance faster than humans can…"

Both Joe and Sakaki now felt the same way once again. Nekosa just wasn't safe.

"Hey, we need to get these kids to a hospital!" Kagura yelled, running up with Koharu in her arms.

"Let's go then, guys!" Chiyo said.

A few of the officers gave the parents (along with Chiyo and Shaun) rides to the hospital. The rest of the officers made arrests on the Kazu, Rei, and Tomozawa, while the rest of the police rounded up the many passed out and beaten prinnies on the ground. The rest of the groups that had helped went home, feeling as if they had won, but also feeling like they hadn't quite reached the kids in time.

Meanwhile, Madoka, Motoko, and Yayoi stayed behind.

"So, what do we do now?" Madoka asked.

"We meditate…and wait. We have to hope things turn out for the better this time." Motoko said.

The two other samurai nodded. All of them then sat down, and began meditating.

…

Author's notes: And so the battle is over. Yukishiro ran off, Azami is still on the loose, but at least all the kids are going to the hospital. Let's hope they are ok!

Next Chapter: Damage Caused


	97. Damage caused

Damage caused

…

A man checked outside his window for police before closing the shades, and going into a room.

A room that housed a crying Yukari, who was lying on the bed.

"My car…" Yukari cried. "My car was sliced…in half…"

"Well, the cops don't seem to be looking out for you, but you'd better stay here anyway, just to be safe." the man said.

Yukari sighed unhappily.

The man stared at Yukari for a moment before heading to the door of the room.

"Hey…" Yukari called back.

The man turned back to Yukari.

"Thanks for…busting me out of the joint…" Yukari said. "Had no idea what the hell I was gonna do for cash…"

The man just smiled. "No problem."

…

The three kids were rushed into the ER while the parents sat out in the waiting room, hoping, praying that everything would be ok. Shaun sat with them, seeing as how he wasn't allowed in the ER with Chiyo.

Kagura had one arm wrapped around the teary Pan, while the other arm was wrapped around Kaorin.

Joe had both of his arms wrapped around Sakaki. He dare not leave to go back to his house to even get his glasses, for his wife needed him there, and he was gonna make damn sure he was there for her.

Tomo and Yomi, though sitting close to each other, had remained quiet. Yomi was leaning back in the chair, hoping for things to be ok. Tomo sat in her chair, her arms crossed, staring at the ground.

It should be noted that Tomo still didn't feel the least bit of regret for killing Laharl. Her biggest regret was actually dating him in the first place. Because of that, her child was now in the ER.

Which made her feel guilty for the whole thing.

"Tomo…" Yomi finally said. "…you wanna talk?"

No response.

"Tomo?" Yomi put one hand on Tomo's shoulder.

Then Tomo broke into tears, burying her face into her own hands.

"Why?" Tomo asked, sobbing. "Why did this have to happen? Koyomiko's in the ER right now, and it's all my fault!!"

Yomi quickly pulled Tomo in close, so Tomo could cry into Yomi's shoulder instead.

"Hey, why are you blaming yourself?" Yomi asked quietly. "Laharl did this to her."

"If I wouldn't have dated him in the first place, he never would have wanted to do this!!" Tomo said loudly, continuing sobbing into Yomi's shoulder.

None of the other parents could say they felt the same way Tomo did. They had done the right thing so many years ago on Christmas Eve, and the only reason that Tomozawa, Rei, and Kazu carried hatred against them was because it ended up ruining their lives.

Yet Tomo had actually dated this guy, then dumped him because he did something she didn't like. Now, because he didn't take rejection well, he had harmed Tomo's daughter. Tomo couldn't help but feel totally guilty for the whole thing.

"Hey, Tomo, don't worry about it…" Joe said. "…Koyomiko's got Chiyo working in there, and she's one of the best doctor's there is!"

"That's right!! In fact, she said she was gonna give 'em something that would heal them up right away!!" Shaun said, trying to cheer Tomo up further.

Then Joe heard _sssst!_ come from the ER three times very quickly.

"Hey, the secret soda!!" Joe said happily. "See, she's just gonna…"

A thought hit him. A thought so terrifying, it made his heart leap to his throat.

He had forgotten his bag of secret soda back at the battlefield.

"Oh…no…" Joe quickly and suddenly ran out of the waiting room.

"Where the hell's he going?" Shaun asked.

"I don't know…" Sakaki said quietly. "But he sounded worried."

…

At the battlefield

…

Joe stood right on the block where his group had hidden, breathing heavily from the running he had just done.

His pen grenades were still there, but the entire bag that had the secret soda in it was gone.

Joe let out with a furry of curse words under his breath.

…

Joe came walking back into the waiting room of the ER.

"So, any news on the kids?" Joe asked, sitting back down next to Sakaki.

"Not yet…" Shaun said. "They're still in there. But I gotta ask, what'd you run off for?"

"My secret soda that I brought to the battlefield." Joe said. "It's gone"

"WHAT?!" Everyone in the room yelled.

"Yeah…" Joe said sullenly. "Even the bag's gone."

"Well, let's just hope that the police took it, and it didn't fall into the wrong hands…" Shaun replied.

At that moment, child-form Chiyo came walking out.

"Kagura, Kaorin, you two are first." Chiyo replied grimly.

This made Pan start to worry badly. Even Kagura and Kaorin could feel their hearts beating at about 1,000 beats per minute just worrying about what Chiyo had to say.

…

Chiyo led Kagura, Kaorin, and Pan to Koharu's room. Koharu still looked badly beaten up, but at least she had her one good eye open to show she was awake.

"From what we could tell from the X-rays…" Chiyo said. "She has a broken arm. It looks like they stepped on her back, and pulled one arm backwards."

Both Kagura and Kaorin clenched their fists so hard, blood almost came out from their fingernails piercing their own hands. Pan was about ready to break into tears.

"And here's the thing…" Chiyo said. "The synthesized soda will fix the arm, but it's going to cause some extreme pain for a few minutes while it heals it."

"So, what do you need us for?" Kaorin asked.

"I need you to be in here, to comfort Koharu while she goes through this. It's going to be extremely painful, but at least she won't need a cast." Chiyo said.

Kagura and Kaorin nodded. Koharu, with what little strength she had, also nodded slightly.

"Ok, then…" Chiyo walked over and grabbed a glass of the synthesized soda.

Kagura sat down on a stool Chiyo had set up beforehand on the one side of the bed, and grabbed Koharu's right hand. From the way Koharu winced when she did, Kagura guessed this was the broken arm.

Kaorin sat down on the other side of the bed. Kagura and Kaorin reached across the bed, and grabbed each other's hands. They knew they would both need the comfort of each other to get through this.

Pan went and wrapped her arms around Kagura's waist.

"Please let her be OK…" Pan said softly.

"She will be…" Kagura said back.

Chiyo, a very serious look on her face, gave the drink to Koharu. Koharu took it with her left hand.

"Be careful…" Chiyo said. "It doesn't taste that good."

Koharu nodded slightly, then put the cup to her lips and drank it all down.

Chiyo took away the cup, Koharu wincing as she did (obviously from the taste of the soda). Kaorin grabbed Koharu's left hand for comfort, and they waited.

A moment passed…

Koharu then winced terribly, tears coming to her eyes. Kagura and Kaorin could already see Koharu's black eye slowly fading away, and her swelled up cheek slowly returning back to normal.

Koharu let out a scream of pain.

…

Everyone in the waiting room heard this, and it made them all horribly nervous, and afraid of what may have happened to their own kids.

…

Kagura and Kaorin were gripping not only each other's hands, but Koharu's hands as well, as she wiggled, and continued to scream out in pain.

Both parents could hear it. A cracking noise, as bone re-aligned to fix the arm that had been broken.

Pan, tears running down her face, had the tightest squeeze on Kagura.

What was only a minute and thirty seconds in time seemed like an eternity as Koharu experienced pain she would hope to never experience again.

As the cracking continued, it got louder and louder, along with Koharu's screams of pain. Kagura and Kaorin wished for this whole nightmare to end.

CRACK!!

Koharu let out her final scream of pain, then lost consciousness. Kagura and Kaorin slowly let go of Koharu's hands, and were relieved to see that all of Koharu's bruises were gone, her eye and cheek were back to normal, and she no longer looked like the beaten child she had before.

Kaorin let go of Kaugra's hand, stood up, walked over to Chiyo, and proceeded to hug her.

"Chiyo…" Kaorin said quietly, tears running down her face. "Thank you…"

Chiyo wrapped just one arm around Kaorin's back.

"It's no problem…" Chiyo responded quietly. "Really…"

Kagura and Pan both walked over to where Kaorin was, as Kaorin let go of Chiyo and stood up.

"I ask that she stays the night to make sure that she's all right." Chiyo said.

Kaorin simply nodded.

Chiyo turned to Kagura and Pan. Kagura bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Chiyo-chan…" Kagura said. "For all that you've done."

And with that, the four of them left the room, leaving Koharu to sleep peacefully.

…

Kagura, and Kaorin walked out. Pan was now in Kagura's arms.

"How was it in there?" Sakaki asked as they walked by her.

"It was hard…" Kaorin responded, a slight smile on her face. "…but Koharu will be fine."

And the three proceeded to walk out of the waiting room, and out of the hospital.

…

Sakaki and Joe were called in next. They were led into Nekosa's room, where she was sleeping. The synthesized soda had apparently already been used.

Nekosa was going to be fine, but Chiyo also asked that Nekosa stay the night as well. They wanted to make sure that the dog didn't have rabies or anything of that nature.

"I can help…" Sakaki offered.

"Thank you, Sakaki-san…" Chiyo replied. "But you've been through a lot. You can just head home and get some rest. Nekosa will be waiting for you here."

"Um, Chiyo…" Joe responded, nervousness in his voice. "Azami is still on the loose."

"I'll make sure to place a few police officers at her door then." Chiyo said. "And outside, just to be safe."

"Thank you" both parents responded, though even the thought of police officers keeping Nekosa safe didn't help ease their tension.

…

Finally, Tomo and Yomi's turn.

The both of them walked into Koyomiko's room. They immediately saw that Koyomiko's glasses were on the small table next to her bed, and her eyes were covered with gauze pads.

"H-h-how bad is it?" Tomo asked, about ready to break down into tears again.

"The soda seems to help, but it's going to take all night for Koyomiko's vision to return to what it was beforehand." Chiyo said sullenly. "But…um…Yomi…can I…"

"NO!" Tomo interrupted, tears in her eyes. "I want to hear it!! She's my daughter too!"

Chiyo had never seen Tomo like this. Not only was she being serious, she was on the verge of crying. Tomo almost seemed to be taking the full responsibility for what happened to Koyomiko.

Chiyo looked at Koyomiko for a moment. Koyomiko, lying there, sleeping peacefully.

She turned back to Tomo and Yomi.

"We're…not sure of the…psychological damage that movie may have caused."

It almost looked like Chiyo had thrown a bomb right at Tomo's face. Tomo's eyes went wide, and her face read utter shock.

Tomo looked back at Koyomiko. Tears began to fill Tomo's eyes.

"Tomo?" Yomi asked.

Tomo turned and dashed out of the room, crying all the way.

"She's taking it real hard, huh?" Chiyo said.

"Yeah…" Yomi said, the sound of sadness in her own voice. "She blames herself for the whole incident."

Chiyo sighed. "Listen…I'll stay with the kids for as long as I can tonight…"

"Thanks, Chiyo-chan…" Yomi said with a slight smile. "I'll see if I can talk to Tomo."

…

Yomi and Chiyo left the room. Yomi left the hospital, and Chiyo went to talk to Shaun.

"Listen, you head home." Chiyo said. "I promised Yomi I'd be with the kids for as long as possible."

"Ok, then, Chiyo," Shaun said. "Good luck"

Chiyo had to quickly change into her adult form before the moment was lost, they kissed, and Chiyo changed back into child form, and started to walk back into the room with the kids.

But then she was stopped in the hallway, as someone dropped down from the ceiling.

"Maya!!" Chiyo exclaimed. Maya Natsume, the one that had taught Chiyo how to transform back and fourth between child and adult form, was standing before Chiyo now, in her own chibi-form.

"I'm sorry to have to meet you on such short notice, Chiyo Mihama" Maya said. "But I have some…news you may not want to hear."

Chiyo listened intently, fearing the worst.

"I noticed that you've taken a liking to that man" Maya said. "I just need to let you know…should you become pregnant, your child form will be lost forever."

Maya walked past a slightly stunned Chiyo.

…

At the Sakaki residence, Joe and Sakaki walked in, and Sakaki immediately went and laid down on the couch.

Joe went and fed the cats (CoKaorin almost taking another piece out of him), put in some regular contacts, then returned back to where Sakaki was lying down.

"Tanaka?" Joe asked. "You ok?"

Sakaki wasn't really sure why, but suddenly she felt mad at her husband.

"Why do you ask?" Sakaki asked, anger in her voice. "Guess you want more 'bed time' huh?"

"That's not it…" Joe started.

"Don't lie to me!!" Sakaki yelled, turning her head to make eye contact with Joe. "Nekosa's not around, so now you and I have alone time!! You're probably glad that she's in the hospital right now!!"

"Tanaka, I'm serious, I'm not…"

"I don't want to talk." Sakaki said, turning her head away.

Joe stood there, slightly stunned at the anger moment Sakaki had just showed, and yet at the same time, really did feel guilty in a way. No, he really was concerned about how Sakaki was feeling, and he didn't like the fact that Nekosa was in the hospital, but the fact that the two were alone kind of did make him want to try for a kid.

Joe simply walked out of the room, without a word. He went into their bedroom, lied down on the bed, and just stared at the ceiling, mulling things over in his head.

…

Yomi would come home, and hear sobbing coming from Koyomiko's room.

Yomi would walk in to find Tomo on her knees, hugging Koyomiko's pillow, and crying into it.

Yomi walked into the room, and kneeled down next to Tomo.

"Why, Yomi, why?" Tomo asked, pulling her head out of the pillow just enough to talk. "Why did it have to turn out this way? Why did my child have to suffer for some stupid decision I made?"

"It's not you, Tomo, it was Laharl." Yomi said. "He didn't take rejection well. Just know that you need to stop blaming yourself for what happened."

Tomo remained silent for a moment, staring at Koyomiko's bed.

"Yomi…I'm so confused…" Tomo said softly. "Why do I feel this way?"

"Because you're finally growing up and maturing," Yomi said with a slight smile.

"Maturing, huh?" Tomo said, a slight smile coming across her own face. "So does that mean you're going to lighten up someday, maybe gain a wildcat side yourself?"

"Maaaaaaybe" Yomi said with a slightly bigger grin.

"heh…" Tomo put down Koyomiko's pillows and wiped her eyes. "Thanks, Yomi."

"Don't mention it" Yomi responded.

Yomi got up and left the room, and Tomo stared back at the bed for a moment.

Sure, she annoyed Yomi at times. And sure, Yomi got annoyed with it, even to the point of uppercutting her.

But in the end, the two would always be best of friends. And even now, they would always be lovers.

Tomo smiled at this thought. She looked at Koyomiko's bed with a renewed spirit.

_Koyomiko, please be ok,_ Tomo thought, as she got up and left the room.

…

That night, Joe was getting ready for bed, when he noticed Sakaki standing in the doorway.

"I'm…sorry…for…yelling," Sakaki started.

"You had full right to yell at me, Tanaka…" Joe said. "You almost knew precisely what I was thinking. Though it was the last thought on my mind, it was still there."

"No…" Sakaki said, wrapping her arms around her chest, and staring down at the ground. "I said I wanted a sibling for Nekosa, and now…now I just…seemed to have mislead you away from that."

"Well, deep down, I got excited when you asked if Nekosa would want a sibling…" Joe said, staring down at the ground himself. "I love Nekosa, and at the same time, it would be nice to have a child of my own…"

The two stood there for a moment…a very awkward moment.

Sakaki decided to break the silence. "I'm just…not sure if we're ready to have another child. I mean…we lost Nekosa three times now…"

"Well, twice." Joe said. "I don't count this kidnapping, because she was under the protection of your father in his own house. Hell, Nekosa couldn't have been safer inside Fort Knox, yet this samurai broke in and kidnapped her."

Another awkward silence.

Joe smiled a little bit. "We had our first real fight as a couple…"

Sakaki smiled a bit at this too. In her mind, to go for almost a year before finally having your first fight had to be a good sign.

Joe walked over, placed a hand on Sakaki's upper arm, and started rubbing slowly.

"I love you…" Joe said. "…and I hope that we have a wonderful and long marriage together."

Sakaki looked up. The two eyes met on even levels.

Sakaki wrapped her arms around Joe's neck. The two lips met.

The two seemed to almost lead each other to the bed. Then the passion began…

…

Later

…

Joe fell on top of Sakaki. The two were breathing heavily.

"I can't feel my legs…" Sakaki said in an almost dreamy tone.

"Does this…happen every time?" Joe asked.

"mmm" Sakaki said, indicating yes.

Joe got off of Sakaki's body, and moved himself so his eyes met with Sakaki's.

The two kissed passionately once more.

Sakaki started getting into it, and the two started off Round 2.

…

Kagura, Kaorin, and Pan all slept together that night.

Pan can say that she slept better than she had in a while. She finally had something to wrap her arms around.

…

Author's notes: Well, for that beginning part, I think even Yukari would say 'Thank you' to someone who busted her out of prison.

Also, we see Tomo going through an OOC moment…although it is blatantly obvious why she is.

Next Chapter: Sunny skies


	98. Sunny Skies

Sunny Skies

…

Yukari would awaken the next morning. She was still in the same clothes she wore the previous day.

"Damn it all…" Yukari grumbled.

Well, at least it was Sunday, which meant no school.

But she noticed a suitcase in the corner of the room that hadn't been there the previous night.

She got up, and walked over to it. And inside of it were all of her clothes from her own house.

"What the…?"

"Glad to see you're awake, Yukari" the man said, as he walked into the room.

"You did this?" Yukari asked.

The man nodded, then grinned. "Now, quickly change clothes…I've got a surprise for you."

The man left the room, and Yukari quickly changed clothes. She then walked out to the table, where the man had just finished breakfast, though it looked like there was some saved for Yukari.

"Breakfast? That's it?" Yukari asked.

"No, this is not the surprise. Your surprise is out in the garage." the man said with a grin.

"Hey, before we go any further, I need to know your name." Yukari said.

The man smiled. "You can just call me Fang"

Fang led Yukari out to his garage, where Yukari immediately spotted a 1997 silver Toyota Corolla.

"You bought me a new car?!" Yukari said in shock, staring at the vehicle.

"What?" the man asked. "Oh…no. That's not your vehicle. That's the vehicle for your parents."

He led Yukari over to another spot in the garage, that housed another silver Toyota Corolla, only this model was 2007, and you could tell just by looking at it, this baby was souped up.

Yukari very slowly walked around the vehicle, checking all aspects of it. Surround sound stereo inside, even had bass boost. Yukari popped the hood, and had her breath taken away. Inside was the biggest engine that could possibly fit inside the vehicle itself.

"Yeah…had to have a few modifications to the original," Fang said.

Yukari, looking angry, walked up to Fang. She grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him from the garage, through the kitchen, and back into the bedroom that Yukari had slept in the previous night.

She pulled him around so that his back was now to the bed.

And Yukari's angry face gained a grin.

"Make love to me, you hot hunk a' man!!"

Yukari's lips met his, and the two fell back on the bed.

…

Chiyo had left the hospital at 10:00pm the previous night, and now walked in at 9:00am, when the hospital opened.

She had had the three kids moved into the same room the previous night, so that the guards could protect all three kids against the possible attack made by Azami. Luckily, nothing had happened overnight.

Chiyo walked into the room, to find all the kids were still asleep, but they would be waking up soon. The kids were all lined up on one side of the room.

She closed the door behind her, then walked by the first bed, which housed Nekosa. Nekosa's cat side taking effect, she woke up.

"M-Mihama-san?" Nekosa said sleeply.

"Ah, good morning, Nekosa-chan!" Chiyo replied happily. "How are you feeling?"

"ok…" Nekosa said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. The previous day's experiences came flooding back to her. "Ah!! Where is everyone?!"

Chiyo looked at both beds to signal to Nekosa. Koharu was in one bed, still asleep. Koyomiko was in the other, gauze pads still on her eyes.

"But…" Nekosa said, a little confused. "…where are Okaasan? And Otousan?"

"I'll call them all up once these two are up…" Chiyo said.

"HEY!! KOYOMIKO-CHAN!!! KOHARU-CHAN!!! WAKE UP!!!" Nekosa screamed.

Chiyo sweat-dropped. She normally would have hushed Nekosa because it was a hospital, but she wanted to see her parents, so she was willing to do whatever it took to see them.

The other two stirred.

"Nekosa-chan…" Koharu moaned. "Go back to sleep…It's too early in the morning…"

"DON'T YOU REMEMBER ANYTHING FROM YESTERDAY?!!" Nekosa yelled, trying to get Koharu up.

This worked. Koharu suddenly sat straight up in bed.

"What happened after you fixed my arm?!" Koharu asked Chiyo.

"I told your parents you would be fine, and told them to go home." Chiyo said. "They can't stay in the hospital. Speaking of which, how is your arm?"

Koharu squeezed her hand, rotated her arm around, flexed it a few times, all checking to see how it felt.

"Seems ok…" Koharu said.

"GAH!! I'M BLIND!!!!"

Chiyo whipped around to see that Koyomiko was flailing around in her bed.

"KOYOMIKO-CHAN!!" Chiyo yelled to grab Koyomiko's attention. "You're not blind. You have gauze pads on your eyes."

"Ooooooh…" Koyomiko responded.

Chiyo walked over and removed the gauze pads from Koyomiko's eyes.

Koyomiko opened her eyes, and let the light in.

"How's your vision?" Chiyo asked.

"I can't see…" Koyomiko said.

Chiyo walked over to the table by the bed, grabbed Koyomiko's glasses, and put them on her.

"How about now?" Chiyo asked.

"Ah! Much better!" Koyomiko responded.

"How do you feel?" Chiyo asked.

Koyomiko looked at Chiyo.

"I…want a Kaa-san sandwich " Koyomiko said.

"For breakfast?" Chiyo asked in a slightly amazed tone.

"oh…it's morning?" Koyomiko asked.

"Yes, you were out almost all day yesterday" Chiyo said.

Then everything came flooding back to Koyomiko. The samurai, Laharl, and even…the movie.

Koyomiko suddenly laid down on her bed, turned to her side, curled up into the fetal position, and began shivering.

"I…don't ever want to see that movie again…" Koyomiko said in a very frightened tone.

"You won't have to…" Chiyo said reassuringly.

"So, they're both up!" Nekosa said. "I wanna see Okaasan and Otousan!"

"Ok, Nekosa-chan" Chiyo said with a giggle. She pulled out her cell phone, and called up Sakaki's home.

No answer.

"Huh…must be out somewhere…" Chiyo said. She hung up, then called Sakaki's cell phone.

"Hello?" Sakaki answered.

"Ah, Sakaki-san…" Chiyo said. "Where are you?"

"Waiting room" Sakaki replied.

"Eh?" Chiyo blinked a few times.

She left the room, and walked out to the waiting room, where all six parents were sitting.

Chiyo sweat-dropped. "Hello, Sakaki-san" she said into her cell phone.

"Hello, Chiyo-chan" Sakaki replied into her cell phone.

This caused everyone else to sweat-drop.

…

The first to come walking into the kids' hospital room was Kagura and Kaorin, followed by Pan, who was hiding behind Kagura's legs.

"Koharu!!" Kaorin yelled happily. She ran over to the bed, and hugged her child. Kagura followed in behind Kaorin.

Nekosa immediately noticed the little girl behind Kagura's legs.

"Who's that?" Nekosa asked.

"That's my sister!" Koharu declared proudly.

"Eh? Sister?" Nekosa asked.

"Uh-huh! Her name is Pan!" Koharu said happily.

"I call her Melon, cause she likes melon bread!!" Koyomiko said from the furthest bed.

Nekosa looked in curiosity at Pan, who seemed to try to be hiding further behind Kagura's legs to hide herself from Nekosa.

Kaorin let go of Koharu, and Kagura came around the other side, and hugged Koharu also.

The next to follow in was Tomo and Yomi.

Tomo immediately ran in, and gave Koyomiko a hug.

But…Koyomiko didn't return it.

Tomo pulled back to find Koyomiko curled up.

"Get away from me, fake Mama!!!" Koyomiko yelled.

Tomo looked confused, hurt, and shocked all at once.

"Fake Mama?" Yomi asked from behind Tomo. "What do you mean?"

"It was fake Mama that kidnapped me, and turned into Laharl!!" Koyomiko said, almost angrily.

It was then that it all clicked for Yomi.

"Koyomiko, that 'fake Mama' was Laharl. I want you to believe me on this one, this is your real Mama." Yomi said.

Koyomiko looked back at Tomo. Tomo already had tears welling up in her eyes.

"Mama, what do I like?" Koyomiko asked, almost seemed to be testing Tomo.

Tomo tried as hard as she could to pull herself together. "You like art, your K-Kaa-san's sandwiches, and…I hope you still…like me." The tears began running down her face.

Koyomiko couldn't take it anymore. This HAD to be her mother.

Koyomiko opened up her arms, and Tomo immediately moved into them, hugging Koyomiko tightly.

"Thank you, Koyomiko…" Tomo whispered.

Yomi walked around to the other side, and hugged Koyomiko as well.

Finally, walking in came Joe and Sakaki. These two seemed the happiest of the parents not only to see their child ok, but even beforehand, when they were in the waiting room.

"Okaasan!! Otousan!!" Nekosa said happily.

Sakaki quickly walked up, and gave Nekosa a tight hug.

Sakaki let go, and Joe walked in front of Sakaki, and gave Nekosa a tight hug as well.

"Hey, Nekosa, your mother has something to tell you" Joe said.

Nekosa turned her attention to Sakaki.

"Well, it's not official yet, but…" Sakaki moved in real close, and whispered very quietly to Nekosa:

"You just may be getting your younger sibling."

"YOU MEAN YOU MADE BABIES?!!" Nekosa yelled loudly in surprise.

The most awkward silence happened, followed by Chiyo, Tomo, Yomi, Kagura, and Kaorin suddenly bursting out laughing.

Both Joe and Sakaki's faces turned beat red.

After everyone regained their composure, the congratulations began.

"So, you're pregnant, Sakaki-san?" Kaorin asked. "Congratulations."

"Th-thank you…" Sakaki replied, her face turning back to normal, but maintaining a blush.

"So, you've been trying to do this for a while, huh?" Yomi asked.

Tomo gave an evil grin. "Yeah, they had to get tests taken to make sure nothing was wrong. I heard the nurses laughing at Joe."

Joe didn't respond. Yomi smiled, looking at the sitting Tomo.

_That's the Tomo I know_, Yomi thought.

"All right!!" Koharu said, filled with energy. "You're gonna have a sibling too!!" She gave Nekosa a thumbs-up.

"Yeah!!" Nekosa said, returning the thumbs-up.

"Well, they've all been cleared, so you guys can take 'em home!" Chiyo said happily.

Chiyo took out the IV's from each of the kids' arms, then Tomo picked up Koyomiko, and put her up on her shoulders. Koharu got down on her own, but grabbed hold of Kaorin's hand, seeing as how Pan already had hold of Kagura. Finally, Sakaki picked up Nekosa, giving her another quick hug as she did.

The parents all thanked Chiyo for everything, then left the hospital.

_One of the many reasons I took this job_ Chiyo thought. _To really help those in need._

…

Tomo and Yomi were walking home, Koyomiko still up on Tomo's shoulders.

The entire way home, all three were quiet. Only Yomi was nervous about it.

Tomo still felt guilty for what happened to Koyomiko (although no longer to the point of tears). She felt like she somehow owed something to Koyomiko for what happened.

Meanwhile, the words of Koharu and Nekosa still ran through Koyomiko's head.

She kept thinking. Koharu already a sister, Nekosa was now going to have a sibling. She (Koyomiko) would be the only one without a younger sibling.

"Mama? Kaa-san?" Koyomiko asked.

"Yes, Koyomiko?" Yomi asked.

"Can I have a younger sibling?"

Yomi and Tomo immediately froze where they stood.

"Uh…what made you suddenly want this, Koyomiko?" Yomi asked.

"Please?! I'll be good, I promise!" Koyomiko said.

"Koyomiko, what made you want a sibling?" Tomo asked.

"'Cause Nekosa's gonna have a sibling, and Koharu's gonna have a sibling!! I'm gonna be the weirdo, 'cause I'm not gonna have a sibling!" Koyomiko whined.

"Just because you don't have a sibling like your friends doesn't mean that you'll be a weirdo" Yomi said.

That's when it hit Tomo. This was her chance!!

"Quick, let's run home and do some research!!" Tomo said, pointing off towards their house.

"Let's go, Mama!!" Koyomiko said, pointing in the same direction.

And with the typical Tomo energy, Tomo ran off towards the house, carrying Koyomiko on her shoulders, Koyomiko holding on to Tomo's head so she didn't fall off.

Leaving Yomi standing there.

"Did I just miss something?"

…

Author's notes: So, yeah, in case you missed it, Sakaki's now pregnant. Looks like Nekosa just may get her sister after all!

And just what does Tomo have planned? Gonna have to read on and find out!!

Next Chapter: Ending at the Beginning


	99. Ending at the beginning

Ending at the Beginning

Note: Rated 'M' for strong language

…

Joe, Sakaki, and Nekosa would walk home, talking the entire way. All three of them were excited about the new addition that would hopefully be coming to the family.

They unlocked the door, and all walked in. It looked like Osaka and Arata had left. Nekosa jumped down from Sakaki's arms, and ran into her room.

Sakaki and Joe walked into their bedroom for a quick moment together.

The both of them hugged.

"I can't believe it's finally gonna happen" Joe said happily.

"It's not official yet." Sakaki said. "Remember, I used a 'day after' pregnancy test. It still may be wrong."

"Still, just the thought that it's still possible makes it that much better!" Joe said.

The two pulled back, quickly kissed, then went out to check on Nekosa.

…

Kagura, Kaorin, Koharu, and Pan would all would head home, also talking. Everyone was just so happy that everyone was ok.

They would walk up to the block by the house, and immediately see none other than Madoka in a meditation position on their doorstep.

The four walked up to Madoka, Pan hiding behind Kagura.

"Um…hello." Kaorin said. "I remember you from the battle."

"Yes…" Madoka said, opening her eyes. "I wish to speak with the child behind Kagura-san"

Madoka pointed to Pan. Pan's eyes went slightly wide.

This, of course, caused Koharu to get defensive.

"What do you need her for?" Koharu asked, walking right in front of Madoka.

"I have been meditating for a while now…" Madoka said. "…and I have been watching the samurai that apologized to her. But now things have changed, and I think the girl should watch."

"First up, her name is Pan" Koharu said angrily. "Second of all, what do you mean things have changed?"

"If you wish, I will let you watch as well" Madoka said.

"We all will" Kagura said, determination in her voice. "Because we're a family."

Kaorin nodded, determination showing in her face as well.

Koharu couldn't have been any more proud to be a part of the family at that point.

Madoka smiled. ""Your family is bound together by the determination and willpower you all show. It is very interesting. Very well then, I ask that you touch my shoulders, and close your eyes.""

The four of them touched Madoka's shoulders, and closed their eyes.

…

Joe and Sakaki stood there in a defensive stance, but also unable to make a move.

Azami had found a way inside of their house. Nekosa, Sakaki, Joe, and Azami were all inside the living room. Joe and Sakaki were closest to the door, and Azami and Nekosa were by the couch.

And Azami had one arm around Nekosa's chest, with the cat-claws of the other hand being at Nekosa's throat.

And Azami looked pissed.

"You horrid bastards!!" Azami yelled. "You think you've won against me?! You should know that I will never be defeated!!"

Sakaki and Joe remained frozen.

"The thing that irritates me the most is that you will fight for this girl when she is not yours!!" Azami yelled at Joe.

Joe glared angrily at her.

"But I'll have you know now…" Azami said. "…if I can't have her, no one can!!"

"No!!" Sakaki yelled, realizing what Azami meant.

An object suddenly flew out of nowhere, and latched on to Azami's hand that was at Nekosa's neck.

"GAAAAH!!" Azami yelled, pulling her hand away from Nekosa's neck. Nekosa took the opportunity to slip out of Azami's grip, and run to Sakaki, and latch onto her leg.

Four more objects flew onto Azami, and latched on. One onto her other hand, one on each leg, and one even onto her cat tail.

"AAAAAARRRGGHHH!" Azami screamed.

She stopped for a moment, and looked at her hand.

Mayaa stared back, teeth buried into Azami's hand. Yama had hold of the other hand.

CoKaorin and CoMayaa had hold of Azami's legs. CoOsaka had decided to take Azami's tail.

"Iriomote cats?! What the hell?!" Azami yelled. She began shaking the arm that Mayaa was on furiously. "Get off!!! Get off you little bi-"

Azami was suddenly slammed hard by both Sakaki and Joe. All the cats let go and scattered as Azami fell to the ground, Joe and Sakaki on top of her.

"Damn you all to hell!!!" Azami raised her hands, claws extended. Joe and Sakaki pushed themselves away, and just barely got out of the range of Azami's scratch attempt.

Azami quickly stood herself up, then paused. Joe and Sakaki were standing there, ready for another attack. The five Iriomotes were also standing at the ready.

"Mark my words!!!" Azami yelled angrily. "I will kill off your family, and use the Iriomote pelts for gloves!!!"

Azami jumped backwards, and were followed by the five Iriomotes. Azami leapt out of a kitchen window, and ran off.

Mayaa jumped up on the windowsill, and watched Azami run off. Mayaa then looked into the trees, and saw a figure standing there.

Mayaa nodded to the figure, and the figure dashed off.

…

Madoka, Kagura, Kaorin, Pan, and Koharu could all see it…

Yukishiro was in America.

She had snuck her way on a ship, and had gotten on land somewhere in California. She then took a bus across the country somewhere close to Oklahoma.

She had walked the rest of the way to Nowhere, Oklahoma, where the house was.

(This is the point that Kaorin, Kagura, Koharu, and Pan had entered)

She entered the house, found the book, and pulled on it. She walked down the secret bookcase.

The scientist had just woken up.

(All spoken in English)

"Yukishiro, you have returned" The man said "Where are my wife and child?"

"There's a problem…" Yukishiro said. "Another child that was unmentioned to me somehow got hold of your wife and child, then transported."

"What?!" The scientist said in anger.

"You should know that I could always see her energy. She must be always giving it off." Yukishiro responded.

The man quickly turned to his computer. "Well, then, we must find her and capture her quickly. With that kind of power, she seriously co-"

The man suddenly stopped. He looked down to find Yukishiro's katana sticking right through his chest.

"You tricked me" Yukishiro said coldly. "I was tricked into believing I was fighting for the right thing, but I was fighting for the wrong thing the whole time."

Yukishiro pulled her katana out of the man, and the man fell to the floor dead.

She walked over to the wall, following the life energy coming from the wall. It was in the shape of a button.

She broke the glass that protected the button, and pushed it.

"Self-destruct sequence initiated. You have 30 seconds to evacuate." the computer said.

Yukishiro instead walked back to the center of the lab, and kneeled down, the dead man's body bleeding behind her.

"I wish…to say I'm sorry for all of the horrible crimes I have committed…" Yukishiro said. She took off her robe, revealing only a black bra and panties underneath, with a knife sheathed at her hip.

She took out the knife.

"20 seconds to detonation" The computer recited.

"I…just wish I would have found out about them sooner…" Yukishiro said, a tear running down her cheek. "So that…maybe…I wouldn't have caused so much pain and suffering to those I have harmed."

Although Yukishiro couldn't see it, she still felt the small knife in her hand.

"Please…forgive me for the sins I have committed" Yukishiro said, another tear running down her face.

"10 seconds to detonation" the computer said.

Yukishiro got straight up on her knees, and turned the knife to face her own stomach.

"9…"

"8…"

"7…"

"And that little girl especially…" Yukishiro said. "…may all the honor that I have left be given to her"

"5…"

"4…"

"3…"

Yukishiro stabbed the knife into her own stomach, then lifted upwards.

"1…"

…

The mediation ended, and everyone's eyes snapped open.

Pan quickly buried her face in Kagura, and began to cry.

Even Koharu got teary-eyed, and had to hug Kaorin to keep from crying.

"She…committed seppuku…" Madoka said in a saddened voice. "It was an honorable way to go…"

"Why did she have to do that?! Why?!" Kagura yelled, tears in her eyes.

"It was her own choice to do so." Madoka said. "When a samurai loses all honor, seppuku is the way to bring back that honor."

All remained silent. The four knew precisely what sins Yukishiro had wanted to condone for. They all looked at Pan.

Madoka stood up, and started walking away. As she stepped on the road, she turned back, a smile on her face.

"I will be staying with Rachel for a while. Feel free to drop by any time." Madoka said.

Then she turned and left.

…

Joe, Sakaki, and Nekosa would be lead to the crime scene, with Iceman standing there.

Azami lay on the ground in a pool of her own blood.

The thing that made both Joe and Sakaki realize who could have done this was the slash across Azami's neck.

The exact same kind of slash that had killed Neko-san.

And the one thing that sealed it was Azami's look on her face.

It was wide-eyed, like she couldn't believe she had lost this way.

The three of them walked away, heading home.

…

"Well, I guess it's finally over, huh?" Joe said, staring at the ground.

"Yeah…" Nekosa said. "I'm glad she's gone"

Sakaki put her hand on Nekosa's forehead, which caused Nekosa to look up at Sakaki.

Sakaki smiled down at her.

"I'm glad you're my daughter" Sakaki said.

This put a smile on Nekosa's face, and she wrapped her arms around Sakaki's leg.

Joe smiled at this show of love and cuteness by both of the people he loved the most in his life.

The three of them continued walking home, and then they stopped.

Standing in their way was none other than Kamineko.

Kamineko didn't flash his smile, like he usually would. Instead, he simply bowed his head.

This left the three in front of him stunned.

After bowing his head, Kamineko walked up to Sakaki, and stood there.

"He…seems nice" Nekosa said, reading Kamineko's eyes.

Sakaki bent down, and slowly moved her hand outward.

Her hand touched Kamineko's head, and Kamineko began to purr.

Sakaki actually pet Kamineko, and Kamineko actually let it continue without the watchful eye of Ami.

At least, for a while…

CHOMP!!

Suddenly, and out of nowhere, Kamineko bit down on Sakaki's hand.

Kamineko let go, let off a few hisses that sounded like laughs, then bounded off.

Nekosa sighed. "Okaasan…he likes to bite down on your hand."

"Man, that cat IS evil…" Joe said.

"Well, at least he doesn't blame me now…" Sakaki said, a slight smile on her face as she stared at her slightly bleeding hand.

…

"Hot damn…Yukari…" Fang said inbetween breaths. "I didn't realize…you could…go on…like that."

He and Yukari still remained in bed, the covers covering up their naked bodies.

"You'd be surprised just how much I can do, Fang…" Yukari said in a turned on voice.

The two met with a passionate kiss.

_Damn she's a good kisser!_ Fang thought.

Yukari pulled back.

"So, tell me, what's your real name?" Yukari asked.

"heh…" Fang replied. "Fang IS my real name, though it's actually my last name."

"Oh?" Yukari asked. "So what's your first name?"

"Moe"

"huh…Moe Fang…" Yukari said, almost thinking about it.

"Something wrong?" Fang asked.

"Oh, no, it's just…it sounds…familiar somehow…" Yukari said.

A moment of silence.

"Ah, who cares?!" Yukari said.

She positioned herself on top of Fang.

"Ya ready for some more?" Yukari asked in that same 'turned on' voice.

"But we've already done this 5 times!" Fang said, though he had a smile on his face.

"Hell, with the cops out lookin' for me, this is what I gotta do to pass the time" Yukari said with a grin. "Make love to the man who bought me the car."

And they would, again.

…

Author's notes: Yeah, now Yukari's got a relationship of her own.

Does anybody recognize the name of Yukari's new boyfriend? Give ya a hint:

Help Desk Behind the Scenes

Next Chapter: The Ending Chapter, The Final Chapter in the Evil Saga


	100. The ending Chapter, End Evil Saga

The Ending Chapter, End Evil Saga

The Ending Chapter, The final chapter in the Evil Saga

…

Monday, April 28th

…

BZZZZZZZT!!

Yukari rolled right out of bed as something zapped her body. She stood straight upright.

"C'mon, Yukari, time for school" Fang said.

"Awwwww….c'mon!" Yukari said.

"Listen, meet me at the table, I've got a few things to explain to you" Fang said with a slight grin as he walked out of the room. "Oh, and get some clothes on before you come"

Yukari looked at herself, and realized she was still naked.

"Damn…must've fallen asleep havin' sex…"

…

Yukari, fully clothed, sat down across from Fang at his circular table. She began eating, but it was slow enough to hear what Fang had to say.

"Well, Yukari…" Fang said. "The good news is you've been placed in my custody until your hearing in court."

"Whff fhe bad neff? (What's the bad news?)" Yukari asked with a full mouth.

"I'm afraid you won't be able to drive your vehicle until then."

Yukari began choking. She hit her stomach to get the food out of her mouth and throat.

"WHAT?!" Yukari asked after regaining her breath.

"Your hearing will take place about one week from now…" Fang said. "Until then, you're just going to have to ride your bike."

"Damn it all" Yukari seethed.

"Hey, it's better than being in prison." Fang added. "Besides, your vehicle will be here after your hearing is done."

Yukari gave a turned on grin again.

"Ya wanna have sex?" Yukari asked.

"Not before school, Yukari." Fang said seriously. "You're on very thin ice. One slip-up and you'll be back in the slammer. And this time, I don't think any amount of my connections will get you out."

Yukari sighed. Oh well, she had been riding her bike to school for years, seeing as how her parents hardly ever let her drive their car.

"Ah, well, I guess I gotta get to school then…" Yukari said, as she got up to leave.

"Your bike's in the front yard." Fang said. Then he smiled. "Oh, and make sure to brag to Nyamo about your weekend."

"Oh, I'll make sure she never forgets it" Yukari said with an evil grin.

…

Yukari arrived at school, just as Nyamo drove up.

"Yukari?!" Nyamo said in shock "You're….on time?!"

Yukari just smiled at her. "So, where were you all weekend?"

"I was moving stuff into Saotome's house. MY stuff, specifically." Nyamo said.

"Ah, moving in to a man's house, huh?" Yukari said with a slightly evil grin.

"Yes!" Nyamo said, gaining a very determined look. "and I've finally taken enough crap from you, Yukari! I will no longer be ashamed or embarrassed about my relations!! I'M MOVING IN WITH A MAN!!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing, and stared at Nyamo.

"Well, that feels good to get that off of my chest." Nyamo said, a smile now on her face. "Well, see you later, Yukari."

Nyamo left a totally stunned Yukari standing there.

_What the hell just happened?_ Yukari thought.

…

Koharu walked into her classroom, backpack still on her back.

"So, Koharu-chan…" the teacher said. "You said you'd like to introduce someone?"

"Uh-huh!" Koharu said happily.

Koharu turned to the doorway.

Pan peeked in, blushing profusely.

_Awwww...dang it, I hate being shy!!_ Pan thought to herself.

She took a deep breath to gather up some courage, then walked into the room.

"This is my sister, Pan." Koharu introduced. "I found out over the weekend that we're sisters."

"H-h-hi" Pan said meekly.

"Well, welcome to the class, Pan." the teacher said. "And seeing as how your Koharu's sister, we'll have you sit behind her."

The two took their seats closest to the door, about mid-way down the row.

Then the teacher began her lesson.

…

Around lunchtime, Koharu, Pan, and Ami Handelbarz were all sitting underneath a tree on the school grounds, eating lunch when a teacher walked up to them.

"Ami-chan?" one of the teachers asked. "I need you for something."

"Um…ok, then" Ami said, as she got up and left with the teacher.

"What do you suppose she wants?" Koharu asked.

Pan shrugged her shoulders.

…

Ami and the teacher walked inside the building.

"So, Ami…" the teacher began explaining. "There's a kid that's been here for a while, but really hasn't made that many friends. We're hoping you can possibly talk to her for us."

"Oh…" Ami said. "What can I do?"

"Well, see, she also speaks French." the teacher said.

"Oooooh" Ami said. Now it all kind of clicked for her.

The teacher stopped, bent down, and pointed to a girl with wavy brown hair that was sitting at a table in the cafeteria area all by herself.

"That's her, right there." the teacher said. "Why don't you go see if you can make a new friend?"

"OK!" Ami replied happily.

Ami walked over, and sat down next to the girl, looking at her face.

The girl took one look at Ami, then immediately went back to focusing on her lunch.

"Um…hi there" Ami said.

"Hi" the girl replied bluntly. She didn't seem to want to talk.

"I'm Ami, what's your name?" Ami asked.

The girl looked up at Ami. "Why are you trying to talk to me?"

"Because…" Ami said. "I hear you speak French, like I do. Not many other people speak French."

"_Vous parlez français?_" The girl asked. Her interest seemed to be perking up a bit.

"_Oui, je le parle très bien!"_ Ami replied.

Now the girl seemed interested. She never really met anyone her age who could actually speak French like she could.

"_Je suis Ami, ce qui est votre nom?_" Ami asked.

"_Je suis Sachiko…"_ the girl replied.

And as the two continued to talk (in French) throughout lunch, Ami noticed a little smile develop on the girl's face.

Then the bell rang for the next class.

"_Merde, nous sommes en retard!!_" Ami yelled. She quickly held out her hand. "_Amis_?"

Sachiko stared at the hand for a moment, then reached over and shook it.

"_Amis_" Sachiko replied.

Ami smiled happily at her new friend, then left for her next class.

Sachiko would do the same, only this time, she would have a bit of a smile on her face.

It was so nice to have a friend who spoke another language like she did.

…

About 11:00am

…

Tomo finished up all of her paperwork, and left the building. She had had an intense focus she had never felt before, as if all of her energy was being dedicated to this one moment.

She had only ever felt this before, and that's when Yomi was headed off to high school. She had worked her butt off to get into the same high school Yomi had.

She left the building, and headed towards the hospital.

Koyomiko would be out of school at 12:30, so she had to hurry.

Tomo finally reached the hospital to see Yomi standing outside of it.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Yomi asked. "I mean, I'd be perfectly willing to do it myself."

"No, Yomi, I have to do it" Tomo said, determination still in her voice. "I have to make this up to Koyomiko."

_She still blames herself for that whole mess_, Yomi thought.

Yomi smiled. "Ok, I guess I can't talk you out of it, then."

The two walked into the hospital.

…

Osaka had finally come back to school, and explained her reason for her extended absence.

Of course, everyone else had the same reaction.

"YOU'RE PREGNANT?!"

"Well, yeah…" Osaka said. "You know…morning sickness…related to being pregnant…C'mon, guys, get it together"

And so, the day's would finally be returning to normal (well, as normal as anything could be here)

But at the end of the day, Koyomiko, Tomo, and Yomi would all instead head over to Sakaki's house.

…

"Ok, then, I guess that about wraps up today's lesson." Joe said, closing Nekosa's school book, and setting it down in his lap.

"Hmmm" Nekosa said, nodding her head.

"Well, make sure to do the problems on page 41, then, and we'll do the next lesson tomorrow." Joe said.

"Ok, Otousan!" Nekosa said happily. She took the book from Joe's lap, and went off to do the problems in her room.

Sakaki came walking out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on the apron she was wearing, because she had been cleaning.

"She's doing much better," Joe said to Sakaki, watching Nekosa head into her room.

Sakaki just watched Nekosa.

A knock on the door broke both parents' gaze on their child.

Sakaki walked over and answered the door.

Tomo, Yomi, and Koyomiko all stood there.

"Hey, Sakaki-san, is Joe home?" Tomo asked, her normal amount of energy seemingly back.

Sakaki nodded, though she wasn't sure just why these three were here.

"May we come in?" Yomi asked.

Sakaki nodded, and stepped to the side, allowing everyone to come in.

"So, Joe, figured I'd be the first one to tell you…" Tomo said "…but we're getting Koyomiko a sibling!"

Tomo flashed a big wildcat grin right at him.

"Really?! I'm gonna get a sibling?!" Koyomiko said, a big happy smile going across her face.

"Uh-huh! Your Kaa-san and I did this while you were still at school." Tomo said, reflashing the wildcat grin when she was done talking.

"Yay!! I gotta go tell Nekosa!!" and Koyomiko then zoomed straight to Nekosa's room, the first place Koyomiko would think to look for her.

"Well, um…congrats, then…" Joe said, a little unsure of how to take the news. "Um…how exactly did you two…um…you know…"

"Oh, c'mon, Joe!" Yomi said. "If they know how to create kids in test tubes, getting women pregnant with another woman's DNA is easy!!"

Joe looked at Yomi for a moment. "That…sounded very Tomo-ish…"

Yomi blushed and looked away a bit. "Really? I…didn't notice…"

"Hell yeah! The wildcat side is infecting her already!!" Tomo said.

"Tomo!! No cussing while Koyomiko's around!!" Yomi scorned.

_Well, at least she's still Yomi, deep down_, Joe thought.

"Well, congrats on getting pregnant anyway, Yomi!" Joe said.

"Oh, I'm not pregnant." Yomi said.

A moment of silence passed. Joe's head very slowly turned to the wildcat grinning Tomo.

Joe grabbed Yomi's shirt collar, and dragged her into his room.

"Oh, now he's gonna get dirty with Yomi!" Tomo said. "He's bringing her into his room!"

"Shut up, Takino, I am not!!" Joe yelled back out from the room.

…

Joe took Yomi deep into the room, then let her go.

"Please explain to me…just…WHY THE HELL?!" Joe yelled.

"What?" Yomi asked innocently, as if she had no idea.

"You know…why the hell Tomo is pregnant?" Joe asked.

"Because it was her choice." Yomi said, a grin returning to her face as she remembered it all. "She felt guilty for what happened to Koyomiko, so she wanted to make it up to her. Koyomiko wanted a sibling, because Koharu has one, and now Nekosa's going to have one, and she didn't want to feel left out. So Tomo did some research, found out about a procedure that had been discovered…"

At this point, Yomi lifted up her shirt sleeve to show a band-aid that had been placed over what could be guessed as a spot where they had taken blood.

"…and that's how we got Tomo pregnant." Yomi said.

"And…she actually volunteered for this?" Joe asked, still a little unclear on that part.

"Yeah" Yomi said. "Not only that, I couldn't talk her out of it. I said I could do it, but she just wouldn't let me."

So, now it was all coming in to focus for Joe. Tomo was doing this not for herself, but for Koyomiko, and she wasn't about to let anything get in her way.

But he also knew that Tomo had come over to his house to tell him this to shock the crap out of him.

Joe and Yomi walked out of the room. Tomo was leaning up against the wall, with Sakaki still standing there.

"So, how'd it go in there?" Tomo asked, like she was instigating something.

"It went…well" Joe said, a small smile on his face. "I gotta say, I respect you much more now…didn't think you were actually responsible in any way."

"Ah-hahahahaha!!" Tomo laughed. "There is a lot you don't know about the wildcat!!"

_Well, she hasn't quite matured yet,_ Joe thought with a sweat-drop.

Koyomiko came walking out of Nekosa's room, beaming with pride.

"She said that now we're all gonna be big sisters!" Koyomiko said happily. "I'm not gonna be weird!!"

"No, you're not…" Tomo said, rubbing Koyomiko's head.

"Well, I guess we should get going, then…" Yomi said.

"Ok, Kaa-san!" Koyomiko said.

The three left the house, waving goodbye as they left.

Joe and Sakaki stood outside for a moment as the Takino-Mizuhara family walked off into the distance.

"Kinda scares you, doesn't it…Tomo getting pregnant, and giving birth?" Joe asked.

Sakaki just nodded. Yeah, it was scary.

…

That night, Yomi tucked Koyomiko in, and both parents kissed her forehead.

The two would walk up to their room, and begin getting ready for bed.

But then, Tomo suddenly got an idea…

"Hey, Yomi"

Yomi turned around to find Tomo naked once more.

"Tomo, I just gotta ask, why do you do that?" Yomi asked, a small smile and blush on her face.

"Because I know it turns you on!" Tomo replied in a typical Tomo tone.

Yomi took off her glasses, and placed them on her dresser, then she walked over to the bed, and sat down on it.

"So, you wanna do this?" Yomi asked, her voice turned on. "Come over here and seduce me"

"Oh, hell no!" Tomo said, maintaining a wildcat smile. "We did that last time, now it's my turn!!"

Tomo ran straight for the bed, and leapt straight at the sitting Yomi.

And Yomi would find out that night just one more reason why Tomo was known as "The Wildcat"

…

And now we present spoiler theatre

…

Pan walked out of Osaka's house, and sat down so she was leaning up against the house right outside the door.

Osaka and Arata had fallen asleep, but Pan simply could not. Her nights were getting harder and harder on her.

She stared up at the moon, wondering if she would ever be able to adjust to her new life over here in Japan.

As she stared at the moon, her eyelids became heavy, and her eyes closed as she slowly drifted off…

"Pan…"

Someone was calling out her name, but who?

"Pan…"

Pan looked around, and immediately spotted…her adopted mother?

But…but she was…

"Pan…Please…Please…"

"Please what?" Pan asked, tears already running down her face.

"Please…come back to us…"

"But…why? You're…you're…" The tears began to fall faster down Pan's face.

"Come back to us…so that we may say goodbye"

"What?" Pan said in shock.

"and please bring your parents…we have a message for them."

Pan jolted awake. That dream…

She could very easily remember those last two lines…

"Come back to us…so that we may say goodbye."

"and Please bring your parents…we have a message for them"

She had to find her way back to America. She had to go back to that house where her adaptive parents were killed.

And she would bring her current parents with her.

…

Author's notes: So, now we've finally reached the final chapter of this saga. It took forever to get here, but now it's finally over.

Wow…100 chapters…unbelievable. In a little over 6 months too.

Well, I guess I should start thanking people:

First up, a super special thanks to Hallwings and Anime Rebirth for being there since the very beginning. I would have never continued this without them.

Next up, To Funakounasoul for letting me use Koyomiko (and herself), Ayumu Kasuga's Revenge for Shaun, IcemanX and MOFang for…well, Iceman and Moe Fang XP

Also, thanks to Anime Rebirth for the use of his Azu-minis, Rei, Kazu, and and Tomozawa from his fic "Azumanga Daioh Christmas special", as well as for the use of Madoka (she will be seen more later!).

Thanks to Radioliar from DeviantArt for letting me use Pan.

Thanks to RamiaFan from DeviantArt for letting me use Sachiko (and as a promise, she will be featured more in later chapters, this is just her intro!)

Thanks to Hallwings for letting me use Kazu, Dai, Keni, Mako, Tommy, and Hiroto Gokajou from his fic "Chitose's Vacation" and for introducing me to the anime "Happy Lesson"

Thanks to Weener1, aka Jay, and his fic "Help Desk". It gave me the idea for the Azu-kids, which allowed me to meet Funari, and come up with some Azu-kids of my own.

To Fade To Osaka, for pointing out that it's a 'Kotatsu'.

As well as to Nederbird for a scene that's gonna be seen later ;)

And now for all those that review, I thank you humbly:

Hallwings (first to review it)

Chargone

Anime Rebirth

IcemanX

Osakaism

Guardian Korea

Fade To Osaka

Ayumu Kasuga's Revenge

Oujou no Kaze

The Unfathomable Sisters (yeah, both of em XD)

Funakounasoul

Keshi-sama

DonnaUotani

theMOFang

Nederbird

So a special thanks to all of you, and I will always remember that this fic wouldn't have gotten anywhere close to here without your help!

Thanks again!

Jamesbondkid will return in the 'Azu-kid Saga'


	101. Leftovers

Leftovers

Note: This is a filler chapter before the actual saga begins.

…

Tuesday, April 29th

…

Nyamo woke up to the sunlight on her face. She sat up in bed, and realized she was naked.

"Wow…must have been a wild night." Nyamo said.

Yukari sat up in bed next to her.

"You said it."

…

"GAAAAAAH!!" Nyamo snapped awake, sitting straight up.

"Hm? What is it, Minamo?" Saotome asked, sitting up next to Nyamo.

She first checked herself, then Saotome. They were both still wearing pajamas, so all was good.

"My god…I just had the worst nightmare that I woke up naked next to Yukari" Nyamo replied, breathing heavily.

Saotome snickered.

"What?!" Nyamo snapped at him.

"Oh, nothing…but that Yukari must have left an impression on you." Saotome said.

"You have no idea…" Nyamo replied.

"Well, guess we'd better get ready for school." Saotome said, rolling himself out of bed.

"Um…Saotome…I've got a question…" Saotome looked back at Nyamo. "Um…since we're…you know…living together…I was wondering, is Saotome your surname or given name?"

"It's my last name. My first name is Taiki. My mother gave it to me, because it means 'great shine', and she saw me doing great things in my life." Saotome said, a smile on his face. "I mean, after all, my dream was to become a gym teacher, and that's why I am one now!!"

A bright light seemed to radiate from Saotome, his shining brilliance and happiness showing.

_Wow…he's bright_, Nyamo said.

"So, I'm guessing that the reason you asked because you wanted to use my first name now?" Saotome asked, turning back around.

"Uh, um…" Nyamo blushed. She looked down at the bed, and made a circle with one finger.

She felt Saotome sit on the bed. His hand touched her far cheek, and moved her head, so they made eye contact.

"Did you?"

Nyamo's blush became darker. The moment was just far too romantic…

Their lips were coming closer…Nyamo felt her heart begin to race…

And their lips met.

_God, what a man I've found,_ Nyamo thought.

…

Meanwhile, in the hospital

…

Kazu Kobayashi lay in a hospital bed, with an ice pack on the back of his head.

On the bed to his right lie a sleeping Tomozawa Shu, both of his legs in casts, broken by Yuka and Michiru.

But on the bed to his left was a much-worse-off Rei Mitzuki. Her entire body was in a cast, a vast portion of her bones broken by just one of Kagura's punches.

Kazu felt lucky. All that had happened to him was a minor concussion because of a shovel-hit to the back of the head.

His almost-constant headache, however, made him tired. He fell asleep…

He woke up later when something hit his head.

"OW!! What the…?!"

He stopped.

Standing at the end of the bed were 7 kids, whom he could almost recognize, and they all looked ticked.

"Remember us?" The tallest one asked angrily. 

"Yeah." Kazu said grumpily."You're those damn kids from that lady who owned the orphanage of my stupid brother."

"Her name was Gram Gram!!" Chiya yelled angrily.

"Whatever." Kazu said. "Now why don't you kids get the hell out of my room?!"

Yomo pulled out her own brass knuckles (this one for both hands), Kyoto pulled out some pepper spray, Kogora cracked her knuckles, Tami pulled out a few tazers, Chiya pulled out some nun chucks, and Suzuki pulled out a few scalpels she had gotten from the doctor's office.

Kazu remained unimpressed. "You do know that if you even touch me, I will sue you for damages."

"Even if we just happen to show this?" Korin asked, holding up a piece of paper.

From his bedside, Kazu could very clearly see it. It was not only a sheet of paper indicating that all of his assets were gone, but it also indicated that he was a criminal, and therefore not able to use a lawyer against damages caused.

Now Kazu began to sweat.

Korin put the piece of paper down, and put one open hand high into the air.

"I now summon something that has been passed down to me…" Korin said. "THE SHOVEL OF BTS!!"

As by some magical force, a golden shovel appeared out of thin air, and went right into Korin's open hand. She brought it down, and put her other open hand on the handle of the shovel.

"This is for Gram Gram" Korin said angrily, as all of the Azu-mini's slowly moved in closer to the shaking Kazu.

From the outside of the hospital, we hear the painful screams of Kazu Kobayashi.

…

Author's notes: The Azu-mini's getting their revenge on Kazu. That idea came to me, and I HAD to use it. I just HAD to.

Oh, and the shovel that Korin used is the same shovel that Kaorin used in "Help Desk: Behind the Scenes"

And this chapter was just a bit of a filler to get you guys going in ADR again. It's been a while since I've updated again. Brawl really has me hooked.

Next Chapter: Koharu's Rival, begin Azu-kid Saga


	102. Koharu's Rival, begin Azukid Saga

Koharu's Rival, begin Azu-Kid Saga

…

And so Tuesday and Wednesday went by, with things slowly turning back to normal.

Osaka was down to one good upchuck in the morning for her pregnancy.

"Nothing like a good throw-up in the morning to wake ya up." Osaka would usually respond.

But now we join Koharu and Pan…

…

Thursday, May 1st

…

We start this story at lunch time at the school Pan and Koharu are attending. Ami had been spending her time with Sachiko, and the two had become good friends.

Koharu hadn't minded, actually. Ami had told Koharu it was a girl that was a friend, and Koharu was enjoying spending this time with her sister.

Pan, however, was having problems. She was sleep deprived. Many of her nights consisted of that same dream of her mother telling her to come to America, and Pan still hadn't told either of her parents about it, or even Koharu for that matter. In fact, the teachers couldn't even catch her falling asleep. Pan would nod off in class only to suddenly wake up in a panic, due to the same dream.

Pan knew that the dream wouldn't stop until she told either of her parents about it, but there was one thing she was afraid of: Rejection. What if the parents decided that they just weren't going to go to America?

"Pan? You ok?" Koharu asked.

This brought Pan back to the present. She was sitting next to Koharu underneath a tree, and the two were eating lunch together outside the school.

Pan took a deep breath. She didn't want to tell Koharu yet. She was afraid that Koharu would think her dreams were just stupid.

"N-no, I'm fine" Pan lied.

"Pan...I can tell you're lying." Koharu said. "C'mon...you can tell me...I won't tell..."

Koharu had picked up that something was wrong, and now Pan was stuck. She still didn't want to tell Koharu.

Suddenly, something jumped into Pan's mind. Something that just may be a viable excuse...

Pan took a deep breath. "D-do you think the parent's know when my birthday is?"

"Probably not, considering you did just kind of pop up." Koharu said, taking another bite of her sandwich, then swallowing it. "Why? When is your birthday?"

"Fifth of May" Pan responded.

"Really? Huh..." Koharu stared up into the sky as she thought. "Let's see...that'd be..."

Then it hit Koharu like a ton of bricks.

"GAH!!" she exclaimed. "That means your birthday's only a few days away!!"

Pan nodded.

Koharu took a deep breath. "Well, at least you told me. That's ok, though! I'll make sure to remember to tell Natsuko-mama and Osaka-sempai about it, and we'll get you a birthday party!" Koharu gave Pan a thumbs-up at this last sentence.

Pan nodded, and a small smile came across her face. One thing about Koharu, when she tried, she could cheer you up.

Pan and Koharu pinky-locked for a moment, their sign for 'sister-love', before going back to their lunches.

At that moment, Ami came walking up, followed closely by a girl with wavy brown hair.

"Hey you two!" Ami exclaimed happily to the both of them. "I'd like you to meet my friend that I've been spending time with. This is Sachiko."

Sachiko stood there, a grumpy look on her face, with her arms crossed.

A moment of total silence went by.

"Um…hehe…" Ami wasn't quite sure how to break this very awkward silence between the two. "Sachiko-san, why don't you say hello?"

Absolutely nothing. Sachiko continued to look absolutely cranky while Koharu and Pan stared back at the newcomer.

"Hey, Ami, how can you spend time with this person?" Koharu asked. "She's seems like a total grump."

"You catch on pretty quick" Sachiko commented, maintaining the grumpy pose.

Koharu glared angrily at Sachiko. Normally, any person (especially guys) would have turned tail and run at even the thought of a glare from Koharu. However, Sachiko was unmoved.

"You calling me stupid?" Koharu asked, anger flaring up in her voice.

"Maaaaaybe... maaaaybe not. What do YOU think?" Sachiko asked, a very tiny, but very, very vicious little smirk forming on her face.

At that point, Koharu stood straight up. Her hands clenched into fists, cracking as they did.

"Koharu-chan, Sachiko-san, let's not fight…" Ami tried reasoning.

"Insulting me…" Koharu growled, totally ignoring Ami. "I could break you in half."

"Oh, you probably could, but whether you can still do it while I'm breaking your shinbones is a whole 'nother story" Sachiko replied, that vicious little smirk showing even more.

Koharu couldn't handle it anymore, and her fist connected hard with Sachiko's cheek.

WHAM!!

Sachiko wheeled back from the hit, and covered her cheek.

"Koharu-chan!!" Ami yelled.

"What?" Koharu asked defensively. "You heard her! She insulted me!"

"That still gives you no right to…!"

WHAM!!

Sachiko, out of nowhere, came flying in, and her fist connected right on Koharu's nose.

Koharu fell backwards, and landed on the ground hard. She immediately grabbed her nose, tears forming in her eyes from the pain.

"Sachiko-san!!" Ami yelled.

Ami wanted to make eye-contact, but Sachiko had an evil grin on her face, and was staring down at Koharu.

Koharu could feel her rage boiling beyond anything else she had ever felt before. Her losses were beginning to pile up… Kagura's father… that bouncer guy… those two who tazered her…

Koharu got on one knee, then charged right into Sachiko's stomach.

Sachiko landed hard on the ground, and had the wind knocked out of her. Then she felt pain on the opposite cheek of the first one that had been initially hit, as Koharu punched it.

Sachiko immediately hit the left side of Koharu's head hard, knocking Koharu off of her.

"Sachiko-san, stop!!" Ami tried yelling. "Koharu-chan, stop it!!"

Pan was utterly stunned. She had never seen Koharu lose her temper and fight someone before.

The fight continued. Sachiko got a lucky hit, and a fist landed straight on Koharu's right eye. Not to be deterred, Koharu let one knee go right into Sachiko's stomach, causing Sachiko to once again lose her breath, then slammed Sachiko's left cheek once again with a vicious right punch.

The blood began trickling out of the corner of Sachiko's mouth, but still neither of them were giving up.

"Stop, both of you!!" Ami yelled. But her yells landed on deaf ears. Not only were the both of them not giving up in this fight, but now a group of students had gathered around to watch this brawl.

Another right punch was thrown by Koharu, but this time it was caught by Sachiko's left hand. Sachiko tried to throw her own right punch, only to have it caught in Koharu's left hand.

The two of them stared down in this stance for a moment, both of them beginning to show battle scars. Sachiko's left cheek was beginning to swell, and Koharu's left eye was beginning to bruise to form a black eye.

The two began digging the nails of their left hands into the opponent's right hands. Both right hands began to bleed.

Koharu then moved her head back, then forward very fast, headbutting Sachiko hard. Sachiko wheeled back from the hit, and immediately realized that Koharu would probably be charging.

And she was right. She ducked under Koharu's right fist that came swinging at her, and then landed a right-handed uppercut right on Koharu's chin.

Koharu flew backwards, and landed hard on her back on the ground. Feeling her anger boil even more, she immediately got up, and got ready for another charge.

…

About this time, one of the students had alerted one of the teachers on duty about a fight, and now the two were running outside.

…

Koharu came swinging at Sachiko with both fists. And Sachiko caught both fists with her hands, and began digging her nails into Koharu's fists.

That nasty, vicious grin returned to Sachiko's face. She had both of Koharu's fists in her hands, and was now causing noticeable pain to Koharu.

Koharu, upon seeing this, could feel her anger boil over once again. Koharu pulled Sachiko towards herself with the fists that Sachiko had hold of, then kicked Sachiko straight in the stomach.

Sachiko lost her grip on Koharu's fists again, as the air was this time kicked out of her. Koharu took the opportunity to grab hold of Sachiko's left wrist, then get herself behind Sachiko. She put her right foot in front of Sachiko's right foot, then pushed Sachiko forward, causing Sachiko to fall hard on her face. Koharu then put her own right foot on Sachiko's back, and proceeded to pull on Sachiko's arm, causing Sachiko immense pain.

Sachiko, her anger becoming equal to Koharu's, found Koharu's planted left foot with her own left foot. Then, putting her two feet around Koharu's planted left foot, moved them, so Koharu lost her footing, her grip on Sachiko's left wrist, and her ground. Koharu fell hard on the back of her head, and had to immediately grab hold of it with her two hands.

Sachiko slowly picked herself up. Koharu seized the opportunity to jump on Sachiko, and plant an elbow in Sachiko's back.

…

The teacher who arrived immediately saw the scene, and grabbed the walkie-talkie around her waist.

"There's two of 'em, but I'm going to need backup, they're at each other's throats!"

She put the walkie-talkie back around her waist, then ran over to try to break up the fight as best she could.

…

Koharu had one elbow planted firmly in Sachiko's back, and was pushing hard. Sachiko rolled to get Koharu off of her.

Upon turning around, Sachiko saw Koharu's face. She grabbed it with an open hand, and proceeded to slam Koharu's head to the ground.

"Hey, break it up, you two!" the teacher yelled, as she pushed her way through the crowd of kids to these two brawling in the middle.

She immediately pulled Koharu up by the arm, and pulled her away from Sachiko. Sachiko picked herself up.

The teacher turned her attention to Sachiko.

"Now, Sachiko-chan, we've been trying to get you some new friends, and here you go…"

Koharu angrily glared at Sachiko, who had that grumpy look on the teacher, despite her battle wounds.

Their fight was not finished, and that grumpy look that Sachiko had only made Koharu angrier.

Meanwhile, the teacher continued her speech to Sachiko.

"…now I want you to…"

Everyone watching could only stare in horror as Koharu grabbed the walkie-talkie off of the teacher's waist with her left hand, then proceeded to smash it against the side of Sachiko's head.

Even the teacher stood stunned before grabbing Koharu's wrist.

"What the hell was that?!" even the teacher had lost it now. She had never seen such behavior out of a child like that.

And yet, Sachiko, her head now bleeding, could only think one thing.

Using weapons meant that now Koharu was condoning into fighting dirty.

"I have NEVER seen anyone do that before!! What the hell is wrong with you?!" The teacher yelled at Koharu.

Koharu never got a chance to respond. Sachiko broke the grip the teacher had on Koharu's arm with a right karate chop, then followed through by putting all of her weight into one final attack.

An elbow straight to Koharu's nose, which broke it.

Everyone remained utterly stunned as Koharu fell to the ground and curled up into the fetal position, and grabbed hold of her nose. What had started as a fistfight had turned into a dirty brawl, and had left both girls looking like they had been beaten to within an inch of their lives.

Even the teacher was totally stunned. Never had she seen before what these two had just done to each other.

At this moment, three more teachers arrived. This snapped the stunned one out of it, and she and another teacher grabbed hold of Sachiko. The other two grabbed Koharu off the ground, then the four teachers dragged Sachiko and Koharu through the group of kids to the principal's office.

Ami, her own face reading anger, followed in behind the teachers. She was going to tell the whole story of these two to any of the adults who wanted to hear.

Pan, still sitting under the tree, began to break down into tears. Her own sister had gotten into a fight, and she hadn't done anything.

Pan curled up, put her face into her knees, and cried.

…

After being taken to the hospital wing, the two were taken straight to the principal's office, Sachiko's head wrapped in bandages, and bandages on Koharu's nose.

Their other battle scars still showed. Koharu's could no longer see out of her left eye, and Sachiko's left cheek was so swelled up, it looked like someone had stuck a small balloon in it.

Their bodies bared other scars as well. Both of Koharu's knuckles were bandaged up, while only Sachiko's right hand bared bandages.

And the entire way to the principal's office, both of them would continue to look at each other out of the corner of their eyes, waiting for a moment when the teachers would suddenly be looking the other way.

Both of them seriously wanted to attack the other.

…

Upon arriving at the principal's office, the two sat down in two seats facing the principal.

The principal was a man about 40 years old, and was of average Japanese height and weight. A few gray hairs were beginning to show in his totally black hair. He sat in his chair, his elbows on his desk, his hands together in front of his mouth, and his eyes on the two girls in front of him.

And in case anything else happened, two teachers remained in the office, standing on either side of the door. Ami stood in a corner closest to the principal, her eyes reading pure anger.

"I can't tell you how disappointed I am in you two," the principal said.

"But…!" Koharu started.

The principal gave a quick look to Koharu, which immediately made her quiet again.

There was always something about a person with power staring at you. They could very easily take you out with just an eye twitch.

"I'm afraid that there are no 'but's here…" the principal continued. "Both of you have shown inexcusable behavior today. I've already called both of your mothers, and told them what you've done."

Both Koharu and Sachiko gulped hard. Neither of them wanted to face their mothers.

Well, Koharu hoped that the principal had talked to her Natsuko-mama. Natsuko-mama tended to be a bit more forgiving than her Kaori-kaa-san.

"And I'm afraid that the bad news doesn't end there" The principal continued. "Normally, a fight would have gotten you two suspended for a week at most. But the fact that you two continued after the teacher broke you up as you did, I have no choice but to suspend you for three weeks."

"THREE WEEKS?!" Koharu exclaimed, standing straight up.

"You should consider yourself lucky that you weren't expelled, Aida-Kagura." The principal said, his voice raising slightly.

Sachiko remained staring at the ground. She knew hell was coming when her mother got here.

Koharu felt the same way. Even Natsuko-mama wasn't that forgiving.

Koharu's looked back at Sachiko out of the corner of her eye. Sachiko looked up at Koharu. The two's hate for each other became even deeper.

"That's enough, Aida-Kagura" The principal said, maintaining his slightly raised tone. "It is no one's fault but your own, and the same goes for you, Nakamura"

Now the two knew each other's full names.

Sachiko Nakamura and Koharu Aida-Kagura. Hated rivals, and mortal enemies.

Koharu sat back down in her chair.

Then the two kids in the principal's office suddenly felt that feeling of impending danger.

Their mothers had arrived.

Sachiko and Koharu turned their heads, and watched the door open to reveal the two parents.

Sachiko's mother, named Rin, was a tall, imposing woman with a fencer's build. She had dark brown hair with lighter brown eyes and a tanned skin tone.

As for Koharu, she felt even more afraid when she saw that Kaorin had been the one to pick up the call.

And what scared the kids the most was the two mother's were in what I like to call the 'motherly power position'. Legs spread slightly, hands on their hips, and the look of death in their eyes.

The two kids stared at the ground in front of them as the two mothers walked into the office. The two of them stood at their kids' sides. Kaorin put one hand on the back seat of Koharu's seat.

"Thank you for coming" the principal said. "However, to get kind of an idea as to what these two did, we have Ami here to explain to us precisely what happened."

"Thank you" Ami said, bowing. She turned to the two parents, and began to tell the story, from the words thrown by Koharu and Sachiko, all the way to the finishing hits.

Rin would listen to this story, often casting glances at her daughter. Sachiko wouldn't ever see them, but she could sure as hell feel them. It felt like Rin was staring right through her.

As for Kaorin, her grip on the back of the chair would tighten, and Koharu could hear the fabric with each tighten.

Needless to say, both kids could already feel the impending wrath coming from their parents.

"…and that's when four teachers finally separated them." Ami finished.

"And so you see now…" the principal added. "…why they must be suspended for so long."

"I understand." Kaorin said. "And when will the suspension start?"

"It shall start on Monday, although these two will not be allowed into school tomorrow either." the principal stated.

Both mothers gave 'the hell signal' to their kids. Both Sachiko and Koharu knew that the wounds they both bore wouldn't hurt anywhere even close to what their parents were about to do to them.

"Well, thank you" Rin said, bowing to the principal.

"Yes, thank you" Kaorin said, bowing as well.

And the two kids very slowly got out of the chairs. At this point, they would have much rather stayed in the principals office then have to face the hell the mothers were about to give.

"Two things…" The principal added. "First, we bandaged them up as best we could, but I suggest you take them to the hospital, seeing as how they both bare horrible marks. Secondly, you'll need to come to my office to pick up the child's schoolwork while they are suspended."

Rin cast another glare at Sachiko. Koharu could hear Kaorin's grip tightening up.

"Well, thank you, Principal" Kaorin said. "We should be going now."

Rin nodded without a word.

The two parents then began to lead their two shame-ridden children out of the office. Truth be told, the two of them would have rather been tortured for hours then have to face the hell they were about to get at home.

As the two parents began walking down the hallway of the school, Ami ran out of the office, and called out to the both of them.

"Forgive me if I'm intruding" Ami said, bowing as she did. "But I was wondering if I could possibly come over to each of your houses, and possibly try to get these two to make up in any way."

"No." Rin responded bluntly. "Sachiko will not be having any friends over for this."

_I can see where Sachiko-san gets her grumpiness…_Ami thought.

"Well, what if I offered to bring Sachiko-san's schoolwork over?" Ami asked. "And the same would go for Koharu-chan?"

The two parents paused for a moment.

"That…would be fine for me" Kaorin responded.

Rin turned her head a bit, and nodded.

"Thank you" Ami replied with a smile. "I hope that we can somehow get this worked out."

The two parents, however, would not smile back. For them, they would head to the hospital to have their kids checked on (Sachiko had large cut in the side of her head, and Koharu had a broken nose), then the two would take their kids home, and give them the largest yelling at of their lives.

Koharu and Sachiko would sit in their respective rooms of their homes that night, and both of them would think the same thing.

The both of them hated each other, and rest was assured, that first fight was going to be far from their last.

…

Author's notes: So, the Neo-Bonkuraazu made it to ADR, and now Sachiko doesn't get along with Koharu.

This could turn out to get very ugly.

Well, get out onto that next chapter!

Next Chapter: Ami at Sachiko's house


	103. Ami at Sachiko's House

Ami at Sachiko's house

…

Friday, May 2nd

…

That day did not go well for either Sachiko or Koharu.

Sachiko had to go with her mother to her job at a private fencing school, where Sachiko was tortured of having to watch people fence without joining in.

So, you're probably wondering, why would Sachiko feel tortured by this?

Because Sachiko liked fencing. Fencing was her sport, and like all athletes to their own respective sports, it's a game, a game where you've got to be a little smarter, a little faster than your opponent, always, and she loves that adrenaline rush as much as any other athlete.

And not being able to get that rush was torture alone.

As for Koharu, she had to spend the day home with Kaorin. And Kaorin made damn well sure that Koharu did every last chore known to man and woman alike.

What made the chores harder was the fact that Koharu had bandages on her hands.

"And it's only going to get worse" Kaorin said angrily to Koharu, which only made Koharu flinch.

…

After school

…

(Begin French Translations)

Ami walked down the street, a very heavy backpack on her back. Not only was she carrying her own homework, but Sachiko's and Koharu's.

She stopped for a moment, and set down the slightly heavy backpack to take a breather. As she did, however, she got that eerie feeling that she was being watched.

She turned around, looking in all directions for any person that may be watching her, but saw nothing.

As she leaned down to pick up her backpack, the thing that was watching her suddenly jumped out into the open, causing Ami to jump back a bit.

"Oh, Koibitoneko! You scared me!" Ami said, breathing a sigh of relief as she stared at Kamineko, who slowly walked up to her.

Ami put the backpack back on, then picked up Kamineko, and held him in her arms. Kamineko curled up, and enjoyed his moment of being carried by Ami.

And Ami couldn't feel any safer. Kamineko had showed her enough times already that he could handle not only himself, but protect people in dangerous situations.

And Kamineko, well, he'd never bite Ami. The fact that this girl had saved his life made him love Ami almost instantly. And it was a love that he could never betray.

Upon ringing the doorbell at Sachiko's house, Kamineko perked up.

Sachiko would be the one to answer the door. She still had one big bandage on her head, where Koharu had banged the walkie-talkie against it, along with many bruises on her arms.

"Hey, Ami-san" Sachiko said in her usual grumpy tone.

"Hi, Sachiko-san!" Ami said, in her usual happy tone.

These two, as you could tell, were very much total opposites.

Kamineko smelled something in the air. He jumped down from Ami's arms and ran inside the house.

"Ah, Koibitoneko!" Ami yelled after the cat, as she jumped inside the house after it (making sure to still take her shoes off at the doorway). Sachiko closed the door.

Ami grabbed hold of Kamineko, and picked him back up. She then got a look at Sachiko's house. She was standing in the living room, which held the usual sofa-TV-coffee table combo. To the right of where Ami stood were the stairs, which would lead upstairs to one bathroom, and two bedrooms. To the left of where Ami stood was another bedroom (which was the parents' rooms), another bathroom, and then a doorway leading to the dining room, and then into the kitchen.

Upon one of the walls in the living room was a shelf, which housed many different portraits.

Ami walked over to take a look at them.

"What are you looking at?" Sachiko asked grumpily.

"Just your pictures" Ami responded, still staring at them. She pointed to one which had a man that was a small, round sort of fellow with a jolly face and balding light brown hair. "Who's the big guy?"

"That's my father. He's not around much." Sachiko replied. "He's a foreign diplomat in Canada."

"Oh" Ami replied. She then pointed to another one, of a guy who stood tall with lighter brown hair and lighter brown eyes, though his hair still ran long. "Who's that guy?"

"He's my brother, Hayato" Sachiko said.

"Oh" Ami replied again.

At that moment, Kamineko leapt out of Ami's arms again, only this time Ami could see why.

Two more cats, one having totally white fur, and the other having gray fur, much like Kamineko's.

"Oh!! This is why you were so interested in getting out of my arms, Koibitoneko!" Ami replied happily. "Who are these two?"

"The white one's Blanc, the other is Cricket" Sachiko replied.

Kamineko playfully pawed at Blanc. Blanc, seeming un-amused by it, walked over to the center of the room, yawned and stretched out, then proceeded to plop over on his side.

Kamineko watched this, and realized that Blanc was not all that playful.

Cricket, however, took her own incentive to paw at Kamineko when he wasn't paying attention. Kamineko turned back to Cricket, and the two stared at each other for a moment, before the two began playing with each other.

"Awwwww…cute!" Ami said happily, watching the two.

"Yeah, cute" Sachiko said in a tone that said the total opposite. "C'mon, my room's upstairs"

"Ok, then!" Ami replied happily. She took off her backpack at the doorway, reached in and took out Sachiko's homework, then walked upstairs with Sachiko, leaving Kamineko and Cricket to play downstairs.

But on their way through the upstairs hallway, Sachiko stopped by the bathroom doorway.

"Something wrong?" Ami asked.

"Not at all" Sachiko said, gaining a very evil grin.

Sachiko reached into her pocket, and pulled out a camera, as she very slowly opened the bathroom door.

Standing inside of the bathroom door was Hayato, totally naked, singing in front of the mirror to some American music he had going.

"_I'm…too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt, so sexy it hurts!!_"

"Say cheese, sucka!!" Sachiko yelled, snapping a few pictures before slamming the door shut.

Sachiko then quickly began took the now-full film out of the camera, and stuck the film in her pocket.

Not two seconds after doing so, Hayato came storming out of the bathroom; a towel wrapped around his bottom half.

"Oh, huh…hey Hayato" Sachiko said, giving him an innocent smile.

Hayato snatched the camera out of Sachiko's hands, and instantly crushed it with one hand.

Before Hayato could say anything, however, both of them heard books drop. Turning, they saw Ami standing there with a big blush on her face.

"Um…I…uh…" Ami's eyes were glued to Hayato, specifically that towel wrapped around his lower half.

Hayato got an equally big blush, and ran back inside the bathroom, and slammed the door.

"heh…" Sachiko's face turned back to the default grumpy face, but with an evil grin added. "C'mon, Ami, my room is this way."

Ami picked up Sachiko's schoolwork, and followed after her, still wearing a slight blush after seeing a semi-naked boy.

…

Upon reaching Sachiko's room, Ami looked around. It had your typical Japanese setup. A dresser in one corner of the room, a closet on the other side, which probably housed Sachiko's futon.

Ami and Sachiko sat down in the center of the room, and the two began their afternoon activities.

Doing homework, speaking French, but most importantly, trying to find out why Sachiko and Koharu had decided to fight.

"So…why did you and Koharu fight?" Ami asked.

"She threw the first punch" Sachiko said without missing a beat. "And I don't EVER give up."

From what Ami could tell, things were not going to be pretty from this point onward. Sachiko and Koharu had conflicting personalities, and it was going to continue that way for a while.

Ami sighed. This was not going to be fun.

"SACHIKO NAKAMURA!!"

Sachiko and Ami both came running at the sound of Rin, Sachiko's mother, suddenly yelling. The two ran out of the room, and down the stairs, but only had to make it about halfway to the stairs to find Rin pointing out to the living room.

And that's when Sachiko and Ami got full view of Kamineko and Cricket, and the activities that the two cats were now engaged in.

…

"…and then the male lion mounts the female, and begins to mate with it…"

"So your Osaka-basan got you this movie for your birthday?" Tomo asked, eating another piece of popcorn.

Koyomiko nodded, fully interested in the lions that were on the TV.

"Huh…" Tomo responded. "Interesting…"

…

Kamineko then got off of Cricket, and began slowly walking towards Ami, somehow proud of what he had just done.

Cricket remained on the floor for a few seconds, before slowly getting back up.

"If that cat has kittens, you are taking full responsibility for it, Sachiko." Rin said, her arms crossed in an angry sort of way.

Rin then made her way to the kitchen, while Ami and Sachiko remained staring at the two cats that had been 'just a doin' it'.

_I really, really, really don't want to know…_ Sachiko thought.

Ami looked towards Sachiko. "Hey, if they have kittens, I'll take care of them. I was hoping to get more kitties anyway."

Sachiko looked down grumpily at Ami. Yesterday hadn't been the greatest for Sachiko, and today wasn't going so well either.

Ami quickly picked up Kamineko, and decided that now would be a good time to go. She said goodbye to Sachiko and got out of the house as fast as she could.

…

Ami's visit to Koharu's wasn't much better. Koharu still had a bandage over her nose, and her black eye still showed very easily. She also still had the many bruises on her arms, as well as what showed on her legs, along with both bandages on her hands.

And all during that time, Ami felt like Kaorin was watching Koharu, like a hawk waiting for its prey.

…

Ami left Koharu's house, and sighed deeply. She had wanted to help the two, and instead she had found out that these two were going to become mortal enemies.

Sometimes, things just cannot be helped.

…

Author's notes: Two pictures out on DA referenced here. One is "Mirror" by Ramiafan, and the other is "Broken Pieces" by Ramiafan, both of them staring Sachiko and her older brother, Hayato.

Oh, and one of my own fics is also referenced, the 'ADR Koyomiko special'. That movie that Osaka got Koyomiko….yeah…XD

Next Chapter: Meet the Kasugas


	104. Meet the Kasugas

Meet the Kasugas

…

Saturday, May 4th, Morning

…

Pan sat straight up in bed, breathing heavily, tears in her eyes.

She had had that same dream again. The one with her mother calling her to America…

And she still hadn't told anyone yet.

Pan curled up, and began to cry lightly into her knees. She was getting less and less sleep every night…

Suddenly, she heard a noise. She stopped crying, and quickly put her head back on her pillow to make it look like she was sleeping.

She heard footsteps of someone who was up. She heard the footsteps come closer and closer to her room…

Then they walked right by.

Pan quickly got out of her futon, and peeked outside her bedroom door.

Arata was wearing a green shirt and blue jeans. It was a Saturday, so she knew that Arata didn't need to go to work…so where was he going?

Pan quickly returned to her room, and got dressed as fast as she could. She ran out of her room, got her shoes on at the door, and then peeked outside.

She didn't see Arata, so she opened the door all the way, and looked around.

She saw him walking down the street, and he was already 3 blocks down.

Pan ran to catch up to Arata, but remained at least a block or so behind, and always tried to remain hidden.

Her curiosity as to where they were going continued to grow with each passing moment…with each passing step…

Where would Arata go so suddenly to, and especially without Osaka by his side? Those two always did everything together!

An hour of walking passed. Pan could feel herself getting tired, not only from the lack of sleep, but for walking this long, and having to constantly duck behind something should Arata look back.

Then he turned off into what seemed to be his destination, which was walled off in all directions but the way Arata went in. Pan quickly ran forward, and looked inside the wall.

And she saw it all. Many, many different tombstones…

Arata had come to a graveyard.

Still peeking in, Pan saw him walk through the many different gravestones, then come upon one, which he looked up to. He then got down on his knees, then put his head to the ground.

A moment passed before Arata got back up, but still remained on his knees.

The air stood totally still, as Arata began talking, seemingly to the gravestone…

"Mom, Dad, I know it's been a while since we've talked…" Arata began. "It's…been really busy for me recently. But…I just wanted to let you know, I always have you two close to my heart."

Pan heard Arata very clearly. He had said 'Mom' and 'Dad'. She listened more intently now.

"I…met this girl. Her name is Ayumu Kasuga. She's so nice. She…thinks the way I do." Arata continued. "And…I'm…going to marry her."

Pan wasn't quite sure what this 'marry' thing was, but Arata sounded happy when he said it.

"She's pregnant as well…kind of a long story involving Love Potion Number 9" Arata said with a laugh.

_Pregnant? What's pregnant?_ Pan wondered.

"but…I know that you would have wanted me to find someone who I would be happy with…" Arata said. "I…just wish you were here to see me get married."

Though Pan's mind was still young, she understood it at this point. Arata's parents were dead.

Arata wiped his face (Pan guessed he was crying), and bowed one more time, before then standing up.

"Maybe…once we're married…I'll come back here with her, so you can see how beautiful she is…" Arata said. He then turned around to leave.

Pan decided that it would be pointless to hide herself now. She walked out from the corner of the gravesite as Arata came close.

"Ah, Pan-chan!" Arata asked, a smile back on his face. "What are you doing here?"

"Are…are…your parent's are dead, aren't they?" Pan said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Yes." Arata replied. "They died a long time ago."

"H-how?" Pan asked.

"Heart failure. Everyone on both my mom's and dad's side had bad hearts. I'm the last one alive for my family." Arata said. He then put one hand on Pan's forehead. "But the doctor's tell me that I have a very healthy heart, and will live far beyond what any of my relatives have."

Now Pan had someone to talk to. Someone who knew the pain of losing loved one's so close to you.

She moved, and latched on to Arata's leg for a hug, the tears running down her face.

Arata pulled Pan off of his leg, then bent down so Pan could give him a proper hug.

"I lost my parents too…" Pan said, in the midst of crying. "…They…were so nice, and…they were killed by a samurai…"

"I know. My parents were nice too." Arata said. He managed to lift Pan up. "C'mon, let's take you home."

Arata stepped out to the totally deserted road.

"Watch this."

While Pan watched, Arata held out his hand. "TAXI!!"

And just as before, a taxi pulled up within seconds.

"Woah…how'd you do that?" Pan asked.

"The taxi driver and I are good friends. He knew my parents when they were still alive." Arata said, as he got into the taxi, Pan in his arms.

"So, back home?" The taxi driver asked.

"Do you have my new address?" Arata asked.

"Absolutely." The driver said.

"Then yes."

…

Even the 15 minutes the driver took to make it back to the Kasuga household, Pan fell asleep in Arata's arms.

Arata paid the taxi driver upon arriving home, and took Pan out of the vehicle.

He opened the door to find a yawning Osaka.

"ah, mornin', Arata." Osaka said with a smile. "Where did'ja go with Pan this mornin'?"

"To see my parents." Arata replied. "Speaking of which, we need to go see yours!"

"Ah already called 'em up. They said they can't wait ta meet 'cha!" Osaka replied.

"Still a little tired, huh?" Arata asked.

"Yeah…" Osaka replied.

Arata could tell. Osaka's accent really picked up when she was tired.

Meanwhile, Pan began moving in Arata's arms, like she was having a nightmare…

"AHHH!!" Pan suddenly snapped awake, and moving in Arata's arms, caused her to move backward, and Arata to almost drop her.

"WAH!! Osaka jumped forward, and caught Pan, but in the clumsiness of the moment, tripped, and instead sent the entire pile forward.

So Osaka landed on top of Pan, who landed on top of Arata.

"Ow…" Arata replied, after all of this happened within a few seconds.

The three of them got up, rubbing their bruises a bit.

"Pan…is there something you want to tell us?" Osaka asked as she recovered.

"U-uh…n-no, just a bad dream…" Pan said quickly.

"Ok, then" Osaka said. "But if you ever need anything, we're here to help."

"O-okay, Ayu-mama" Pan said giving her a smile.

"Alright, then, we'd better go get ready!" Osaka replied, as she and Arata got up to go get ready to go to Osaka's parent's house.

Pan slowly lost her smile as her sight headed to the ground. Then her tears began to fall to the ground…

Why? Why couldn't she tell them? She had to tell them…or else those dreams would never stop…

Pan continued to cry. Even in the presence of her new family, she still felt alone…

…

Osaka, Arata, and Pan walked down to where Osaka lived when she was in school.

As she approached the house, she saw a little girl about 135 cm (or about 4'5") with very short black hair that looked almost precisely like Osaka, leaning up against the wall, trying to catch her breath.

"Ah, Hikari-chan!" Osaka called out, as the three of them approached.

"Ah…Ayumu…Onee-chan…!" Hikari called out inbetween breaths.

"How ya been?" Osaka asked.

"I've…been well." Hikari said, finally regaining her breath.

"So, what'cha breathin' so hard for?" Osaka asked.

"I had to face the most horrible thing on the entire planet!!" Hikari said.

At this, Pan cowered behind Osaka, grabbing a strong hold of her leg.

"What's that?! Zombies?!" Osaka asked.

"Worse." Hikari replied.

"Aliens?!" Arata asked.

"Worse."

"Clones?!" Osaka asked.

"Worse."

"A bunch of screaming Naruto fans?!" Arata asked.

This got a weird look from Osaka and Pan, but not from Hikari.

"Even worse than that."

"What could be worse than that?!" Arata gasped out in shock.

"Our Aunt Gertrude." Hikari responded.

"AAAAAAAAAH!!" Osaka screamed out. "NOOOOO!! Not her!!"

"She even brought Uncle Fungus." Hikari said.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Osaka fell to her knees. Pan wasn't sure whether to be afraid or confused.

"C'mon, Ayumu, we can do it!!" Arata said, trying to lift Osaka back up. "C'mon, we gotta tell 'em we're getting married, and there's nothing to stop us now!"

"But…Arata….My aunt Gertrude and Uncle Fungus are in there!!" Osaka cried out, tears rivering down her face.

"C'mon, Ayumu!! We can do this!!" Arata said, lifting Osaka back to her feet.

"B-but…I don't want to go in there…" Osaka whined.

"Listen, I'll be here by your side the entire time." Arata said calmly, as he took hold of her hand. "Now let's go and see your parents!"

"O-okay…" Osaka replied. She wasn't sure what suddenly installed that amount of courage into her, but she felt like she could do anything with Arata holding onto her hand.

…

"Aw mah god!! Looggat mah cute Ayumu!!"

Osaka's Aunt Gertrude was a slightly plump Japanese woman, with short black hair, and blue eyes. She had red-painted fingernails, and her lips looked like she had over-applied on the lipstick.

Osaka's Aunt Gertrude was seemingly trying to pull Osaka's cheeks off of her face, as she had one cheek pinched in each hand, and was pulling them in separate directions. What made matters worse was that she continued to move them up and down as well.

And Poor Osaka just continued to whine in pain, for she knew as soon as anyone got into the grip of Gertrude's hands, there was no escape.

"An' who's thee'is?" Gertrude asked, pointing to Arata.

"That's Arata, my fiancé" Osaka managed to say, still within Gertrude's grip.

"Aw mah god!!" Gertrude squealed. She let go of Osaka, and before Arata could react, Gertrude has his cheeks in her grip, and was doing the same to his face as he had just done to Osaka. "Yer gonna git hitched to mah Ayumu!! Yer so sweet!!"

"Gertrude-san...My face…it hurts…" Arata whined.

Then Gertrude placed her lipstick-soaked lips right on Arata's forehead. Both Pan and Osaka could have swore they heard a sucking noise as Gertrude almost had to forcefully pull her lips off of Arata's forehead. Arata fell backwards, landing hard on his back, and right where Gertrude's lips had been lay a nice big lipstick kiss.

"An' who's thee'is?" Gertrude asked, looking to Pan.

"NOOOOOOO!!" Pan yelled, and she very quickly ran behind Osaka, cowering and shivering in fear.

"No, eh? Tha' be a weird name…'course, Ah can' really be sayin' nothin'. Mos' a de people in Osaka consider me an' yer Uncle Fungus 'oddballs'." Aunt Gertrude said.

"Ayu-mama, I can't understand what she's saying…" Pan whispered from behind Osaka.

"That's 'cause she's got an Osakian accent…" Osaka replied.

"An' Ayumu, Ah re-alized it jus' now, bu'…ya los' a bit o' yer accent." Gertrude said.

"Ah been teachin' kids at school, so I have to" Osaka said. Osaka then looked around. "Uh…Aunt Gertrude, where's Uncle Fungus?"

The sound of a flushing toilet indicated exactly where Uncle Fungus was.

Then Uncle Fungus came out of the bathroom.

"As a fair warnin' to all ah ya, don go in thare!" Fungus said.

Fungus was also slightly pudgy, with short dark brown hair, and light brown eyes.

He then realized that three more people were there from when he originally went into the bathroom.

"Is tha' Ayumu?!" Fungus asked in amazement. "C'mere, you!!"

Fungus went running up to Osaka, and before Osaka could react, now had her in a big bear hug.

Osaka could have swore she heard a few of her bones crack hard as Fungus almost seemed to squeeze the life out of her.

"An' who's that?" Fungus asked, pointing to Arata, who was now just getting up from Gertrude's kiss to the forehead.

"That's Arata, my fiancé" Osaka replied.

"OH!!" Fungus let go of Osaka, who immediately dropped to the ground. He then went, and picked Arata up off of the ground, and stood him on his feet.

"So, yer gonna marry Ayumu, eh?! That's mah man!" Fungus gave Arata one hard pat to the back, so hard it knocked Arata forward, and he landed flat on his face.

"Well, we're gonna git goin', but it was nice to see y'all! An' make sure ta tell them parents a' yers we said 'hi' when they git back!!" Gertrude said, as she and Fungus left the Ayumu house.

"A-Arata….you alive?" Osaka asked, still lying on her back.

"Barely…" Arata responded, just being able to lift up his face.

"You're gonna wanna scrub real hard ta get that lipstick off of your forehead…" Osaka responded, as she slowly stood up, cracking her back a bit.

"Hey, where's Pan?" Arata asked as he stood up.

Osaka looked around, but couldn't find the little girl anywhere.

"Pan?" Osaka called out. "It's alright, now. They're gone."

"Really?" Osaka's parents came out from there hiding spot in the closet, Osaka's mother clutching a frightened Pan in her arms.

"Mom? Dad?" Osaka asked in amazement. "Oh, Pan!!"

"It's alright, she's fine." Osaka's mother replied. "She got frightened and ran into the closet. She almost screamed when we were in there, but we managed to calm her down."

Osaka's mother set Pan down. Pan walked over, and clung to Osaka's leg.

"So, who are you?" Osaka's mother asked Arata.

"Oh, excuse me. My name is Hibiki Arata." Arata said, bowing.

"Ah, you must be that man Ayumu was talking about" Osaka's father responded. "The one that is going to marry her. I'm glad. We were so afraid that our little Ayumu was never going to find the right one for her."

"Oh, my, and here we've forgotten our manners." Osaka's mother replied. "I'm Osaka's mother, Izumi"

"And I'm her father, Ichiro." The father replied. The two of them bowed.

"So, you two already had a child?" Izumi asked.

"Uh, no. This is actually a child that was made by a corporation." Osaka said.

"Oh…what do you mean?" Ichiro asked.

And so, Osaka would go on to explain the corporation in America that made children to be weapons.

"…but something else…Mom, Dad, I'm also pregnant." Osaka finished.

"Well, quite the little life you've led without us, Ayumu." Ichiro said.

"But we're glad that at least you're happy with your life, and we hope that you go on to live an even happier one with two children." Izumi said.

"Just make sure we get to see the wedding, and the newborn child, ok?" Ichiro finished.

"Ok, Mom and Dad." Osaka walked up to Ichiro, and gave him a hug. She then went to Izumi, and did the same.

"We love you, Ayumu." Izumi said.

Ichiro then went up to Arata. "Make my daughter a happy woman, ok?"

"You have my word, sir" Arata replied, giving him a salute.

"And make sure to visit us more often, ok?" Izumi said to Pan.

"O-ok…grandma" Pan said, with a slight smile.

Then Izumi and Ichiro watched Osaka, Arata, and Pan walk out the door.

Ichiro sighed. "Look at that…our little Ayumu's all grown up."

"Gettin' married, havin' kids…it seemed like only yesterday she was telling us that weird stuff she thought about at school." Izumi responded.

Both parents sighed again. Having kids grow up was just so hard…

Hikari then walked in the house.

"I miss Ayumu Onee-chan." Hikari said sadly. "We had so many fun times together…"

"I know you do." Izumi said. "We all do. But you have some homework to do, and I know you do."

"But Ayumu never did hers!" Hikari whined.

"That's because she always forgot. You don't anymore." Ichiro replied.

"Awww…" Hikari whined, before heading to her room to do her homework.

…

Osaka, Arata, and Pan were headed home when Osaka received a call on her cell phone.

"Hello?" Osaka asked.

Talking on the other side.

"Uh-hu…mm-hmm…I see…alright then, Kagura-chan, we'll see you tomorrow!" And Osaka hung up the phone.

"Was that Natsuko-mama?" Pan asked.

"Yup. She says tha' you, Koharu, her, and I are going to be going to the mall tomorrow for a day of fun." Osaka said.

"R-Really?!" Pan said, a smile coming across her face. It was a smile that Osaka and Arata hadn't seen in a while.

"Uh-huh" Osaka replied, giving Pan a smile back.

The rest of the way home was quiet. Pan couldn't help but continue to smile all the way. She couldn't wait for tomorrow, when her Natsuko-mama, her Ayu-mama, and her sister, Koharu, would be together with her.

She was excited for the first time since coming to Japan.

…

Author's notes: Hikari Kasuga is not mine, it belongs to Fade-to-Osaka, from his fic "Ayumu and Hikari Kasuga"

So, Osaka's Aunt Gertrude and Uncle Fungus. Quite scary, huh?

Well, now Osaka's parents know that she is pregnant, and is getting married. And now we're moving on to May 4th.

Next Chapter: Pan's Birthday Party


	105. Pan's Birthday

Pan's Birthday Party

…

Sunday, May 4th

…

"That was…fun" Pan said with a smile.

Pan, Kagura, Osaka, and Koharu had all gone to the mall, and had hung out at the mall for a while, mostly in the arcade. Then all four of them had gotten their pictures taken at a photo booth, then left for home.

"Man, I almost beat the high score on that Pac-man game!" Koharu boasted.

"I saw that! You almost had 'em!" Kagura added.

"I love that alien blaster game…" Osaka mentioned.

"What about you, Pan?" Koharu asked.

"Um…I liked 'em all" Pan said quietly.

"That's my girl!" Kagura said, rubbing the top of Pan's head.

Pan smiled. It felt good to be praised.

The four of them walked up to Osaka's house, and Osaka unlocked the door.

Yomi set down a cake on the table.

"Ah, welcome home." Yomi responded. "Happy early birthday, Pan!"

Pan looked at the cake with awe. On top of it were 6 candles.

Tomo, Koyomiko, Arata, Kaorin, Joe, Sakaki, and Nekosa also came walking out of the back with some presents as well, and set them down next to the table.

"Happy birthday, Pan!!" Koyomiko yelled happily, as she came running up and gave Pan a hug around the neck.

Pan's face instantly turned a dark shade of red.

"Koyomiko, you're choking her!" Yomi yelled.

"Gah! I'm sorry!" Koyomiko yelled, as she let go and jumped back.

Pan had to bend over to catch her breath. No, Koyomiko hadn't choked her. In fact, it had been a very nice hug. Pan just had to breathe like that to try to slow her heart rate down.

"You ok?" Koharu asked.

"Y-y-yeah…" Pan said, still trying to slow her heart rate down. "I'll be fine"

…

So Koharu, Pan, Kagura, and Osaka all sat down at the table with Yomi, Tomo, Koyomiko, Kaorin, and Arata and Pan proceeded to open presents.

Koharu got Pan a picture frame with the words "Sisters forever" on the bottom of it.

"And look!" Koharu exclaimed. She took out one of the pictures that they had taken today, one of just Koharu and Pan, and stuck it in the picture frame.

"Wow…th-thank you…" Pan replied, a slight smile on her face.

"Did you help her pick that out?" Kaorin whispered to Kagura.

Kagura just nodded.

"And here's my present" Kaorin said.

Pan opened it up to find multiple amounts of headbands.

"I noticed you had slightly long hair, so I bought you these to kind of keep it more controlled." Kaorin explained.

Pan put a headband on, and ran into the bathroom to look at herself. She looked different, in a way she liked…she could possibly come to like headbands…

"Thank you" Pan said as she came back out, giving Kaorin a slight smile.

"No problem." Kaorin said, giving her a smile back.

"So, where are Chiyo and Shaun?" Yomi asked.

"They were both called in to work today." Kagura responded.

"Man, working on Sunday. That's gotta suck." Yomi said.

Joe and Sakaki sighed. They had both had to work on Sundays before. It really wasn't fun. They knew the pain that those two were going through.

"Well, here's our present." Joe said, handing a big box to Pan.

Pan opened it up to find a very nice looking Kotatsu.

"Wow…thank you…um…i-it…looks warm" Pan said, blushing.

"Ask that mother." Joe said, jerking his head towards Osaka. "She enjoys stuff like that."

"Our birthday present is in your room." Osaka said to Pan.

Pan got up and headed to her room. When she got to the doorway, she gasped. A new futon lay on the ground. Rather than the guest's black futon, this one was a much nicer blue one.

"Wow…th-thank you, Ayu-mama…" Pan said, as she came and sat back down.

"You're quite welcome, Pan." Osaka said with a big smile.

"Our turn!" Koyomiko pipped in. She grabbed her present from behind Yomi, and handed it to a blushing Pan.

Pan unraveled the present, and opened it up to reveal…

A teddy bear.

Pan stared at the teddy bear for a moment.

"Mama and Kaa-san said you were having trouble sleeping at night, so we figured that this would be a good present for you!" Koyomiko said happily.

"Koyomiko, shhh!!" Yomi hissed. That part was supposed to have remained a secret.

Pan, however, had completely missed this information, as she continued to stare at the teddy bear.

"Pan? You ok?" Koharu asked.

Tears began to well up in Pan's eyes. This teddy bear reminded her of her own that was in America…

A knock on the door broke everyone's stare from Pan.

"Pan, are you ok?" Koharu asked again, as Kagura got up to answer the door.

"Hello, does a certain Pan Kagura-Kasuga live here?" Hiyama Kotake stood at the door, wearing a very large overcoat. He flashed his badge to Kagura.

"Um…yes, she does. Why do you ask?" Kagura asked.

Kotake ignored Kagura, and looked inside. There he saw Pan, sitting, looking stunned at the teddy bear.

"Because…she is to be deported." Kotake explained.

"WHAT?!" Kagura yelled in shock. This broke Pan out of her stare, and caused everyone to look at the doorway.

Kotake seemed unaffected by Kagura's yell, and continued. "There is no record of her ever coming over to Japan by plane, ship, or any other mode of transportation. Therefore, she is defined as an illegal immigrant, and must be deported back to America."

Kotake pushed Kagura out of the way, and walked straight up to Pan.

"Pan, you are to come with me."

Kotake reached down to grab hold of Pan, but as his hand came within a few inches of Pan's arm, another hand grabbed Kotake's arm.

"I…won't…let you…take HER!!"

Koharu stood up, and swung Kotake around, throwing him out of the doorway. He flew for a few feet before finally hitting the ground and skidding to a halt by the police car he had taken to get here.

"Koharu, stop it!!" Kagura yelled, going right up to Koharu. But Koharu wouldn't take it. She pushed Kagura away from her. Kagura slammed hard against the wall.

"K-Koharu…" Kagura watched, utterly stunned, as Koharu slowly walked out of the house.

…

Kotake was in the process of getting up, when he looked behind himself, and saw Koharu walking out of the doorway.

"I…won't…let you…take my sister…!"

What Kotake saw next would haunt him more than anything he had ever seen before as a policeman.

Koharu's eyes burned with the flames of anger and rage. But what really scared Kotake was Koharu gritting her teeth…

Some of Kaorin's genes had awakened within Koharu, and she was gritting not her normal teeth, but Kaorin's razor-teeth.

"I…will not…let you…take her…!"

Kotake stood himself up, and swallowed his fear, like he had done so for so many years. Having been on the force for so long, he was not about to let some little girl take him down. Hell, one nerdish guy protecting his now-wife, and his partner, whom he hated, had both gotten the best of him. He was not about to let a third one do so too.

He reached into the right pocket of his jacket, and grabbed hold of his weapon…

Koharu, Kaorin's razor-teeth still in full effect, came walking out to Kotake.

She came closer…

Closer…

Closer still…

Kotake whipped out the stun-gun he had in his pocket, and thrust it forward into Koharu.

But Koharu had seen his hand go into his pocket, and had made sure to watch that hand in particular.

So when Kotake thrust it forward, Koharu side-stepped to dodge it, then grabbed hold of Kotake's wrist.

CRACK!!

Kotake flinched hard. He could have swore Koharu almost broke his hand off with that grip of hers. Kotake dropped the stun-gun, which Koharu immediately grabbed with her open hand.

She then pulled Kotake towards her, and thrust that same stun-gun right into his chest.

Luckily, his own bulletproof vest underneath his overcoat prevented the stun-gun from doing any damage.

He grabbed Koharu's wrist of the hand that held the stun-gun, and stood straight up. Thanks to his height advantage, he now had Koharu off of the ground.

But Koharu was not about to let Kotake win. She swung herself, and landed a kick square in chest. And even with the bulletproof vest on, Kotake still felt the force of the kick.

He was sent backwards, losing his grip on Koharu's wrist. Koharu let go of Kotake's own wrist so that she would drop to the ground, landing on her feet.

Kotake landed on his back on the ground. Upon sitting up, he saw Koharu with the stun-gun in her hand.

She then proceeded to crush it in her hand.

The pieces of what had been a stun-gun landed on the ground.

Kotake looked angrily at Koharu, who stared angrily back.

"Hm…fine then." Kotake said. He stood himself up, and bushed off. "I'll let her go for now. But mark my words, she WILL go back to America."

Kotake then got into his cop car, and drove off.

Koharu stood in the driveway, and watched him drive off. Her teeth slowly turned back to normal.

She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.

She walked back into the house, and received a hug from a crying Pan.

"Thank you." Pan said. "No one's ever stood up like that for me before."

"Hey, we're sisters. It's what we're supposed to do." Koharu replied.

Pan moved in very closely to Koharu's ear.

"When the party's over, I need to tell you something up in my room." Pan whispered.

Pan let go of Koharu, and the birthday party would continue, though there would still be something of an awkward silence throughout the rest of it.

Having a police officer come to your house during a party can do that.

…

"So, what did you want to say?" Koharu asked.

She and Pan now sat on Pan's new futon in her room.

"Well…" Pan said, tightly hugging her new teddy bear she received from Koyomiko. "… I keep having…this nightmare…"

Koharu got into a comfortable sitting position, and began listening intently.

"…and…in this nightmare…my mom…from America…keeps telling me that I have to go back…because…she wants to tell me goodbye…and…she says to bring Ayu-mama and Natsuko-mama…because…she wants to say something to her too…"

"And then?" Koharu asked.

"And then I wake up. I…haven't been sleeping well because of it." Pan said, hugging her teddy bear tighter.

"Well, then, I guess the only thing we can really do is to take you back to America." Koharu said.

"B-but…what if Ayu-mama and Natsuko-mama don't want to go?" Pan asked.

"They are your parents, Pan." Koharu replied. "If they love you, then they'll go. Especially if it's a dream like that."

"B-but…I…I'm scared…" Pan said softly, really cuddling the teddy bear now, tears forming in her eyes.

"You don't have to be. They'll be there with you, to always help you out, Pan." Koharu replied.

"B-but…what about you?" Pan asked, looking up to Koharu.

At this, Koharu looked disheartened.

"I…don't know, really." Koharu said. "My Kaori-kaa-san is pretty mad at me right now for that fight in school…so…"

Pan began to sob softly into the teddy bear. This filled Koharu with deep determination.

"Hey…" Koharu crawled up to the crying Pan. "Even if Kaori-kaa-san doesn't want me to go, I will go. That's a promise."

Koharu held out her pinkie.

Pan pulled her head out of the teddy bear, and looked at Koharu's pinkie for a moment. She wiped her tears away, gained a small smile, and pinkie locked with Koharu.

"Thanks, Koharu-chan." Pan said. "You're the best sister anyone could ever have."

Koharu got a big grin on her face. It made her proud to hear that said about her.

Koharu wrapped her arms around her sister and her sister's teddy bear.

She promised herself, she would always protect Pan, no matter what.

…

Author's notes: Ah, another sister moment between Pan and Koharu.

So, nobody knows how Pan got to Japan, so now she must be deported back to America.

Koharu managed to hold them off for now, but something has to be done quickly before Pan goes back without them!

Next Chapter: Madoka's father


	106. Madoka's Father

Madoka's Father

…

Saturday, May 9th (6 days later)

…

Rachel Handlebarz sat at her table, deep in thought.

Kagura, after the party had been over last week, had called everyone and told them what had happened, as well as calling Chiyo and Shaun, and telling them about the party they missed.

Then Chiyo and Shaun worked out a plan.

They would pay for a trip for Kagura, Osaka, and Pan to go back to America. They would have to stay for a week while Pan's visa was worked out.

The problem was, they needed someone who would be able to help them around America.

Joe was busy home-schooling Nekosa, and everyone else was busy with work.

So, Kagura had gone to both Chihiro and Rachel for help, seeing as how they were still available.

They said they couldn't help, but they would try their hardest to think up of a solution to the problem.

And so, we now go back to Rachel, who leans back in the chair, and lets out a sigh of defeat.

She couldn't think of anything.

She looked into the living room to find Madoka sitting on the couch, meditating.

"Hey, Madoka." Rachel called.

No response.

"Madoka!"

Still no response.

Rachel got up, and walked over. As she got closer, she could see Madoka sweating. As she got even closer, she could see why.

Kamineko had decided to take a nap right in Madoka's lap.

But Madoka didn't have her usual shocked expression on her face. Instead, she seemed to be in deep meditation. A deep, sweating meditation.

"Madoka, would you like me to remove the cat from your lap?" Rachel asked.

Madoka very slowly nodded.

Rachel removed Kamineko, much to his dismay, and Madoka let out a very deep breath, then inhaled again.

"Thank you, Rachel" Madoka said, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "This fear training is quite difficult."

"You mean you actually let Koibitoneko on to your lap on purpose?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, I did. And I am supposed to remove him from my lap as well, but…" Madoka sighed heavily. "I am afraid that I cannot seem to conquer my fear that far."

"Oh…" Rachel responded. "Um…anyway, I need your help with something…"

"As much as I would like to help, it must wait, for we have company." Madoka said with a smile.

No sooner did Madoka say that, then there was a knock on the door.

"You have GOT to teach me how you do that." Rachel said, as she went to answer the door.

She answered the door, to find a skinny man about 6'2" with black hair and dark brown eyes. He was wearing a simple green shirt and jeans.

"Hello" the man said, bowing. "I'm looking for Madoka. She told me she lived here?"

"Father?" Madoka said from the couch. "Ah, Father!"

Madoka pushed herself off of the couch, so she backflipped over the back. Landing on her feet, she walked over, and gave the man at the door a hug.

"It has been far too long." Madoka said.

"So, you're Madoka's father?" Rachel asked. She then bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Rachel Handlebarz. Please, come in."

Madoka's father stepped inside, taking off his shoes at the doorway.

"You have a very nice home." He commented. "And I thank you for watching over Madoka for so long."

"It's no problem, really." Rachel replied with a smile. "It was quite an experience"

"Well, thank you for it anyway." Madoka's father said, returning the smile. "By the way, my name's Joseph."

"What a coincidence!" Rachel said. "Sakaki-san has a husband named Joe as well!"

"Ah, well, that's a very common name in America." Joseph replied.

A light suddenly came on over Rachel's head…

"Ami! What have I told you about turning the lights on during the day?!"

"Oh, sorry Mom." Ami turned the light off.

"Awww…you got kids, too?" Joseph asked.

"A kid, actually. This is Ami." Rachel said.

"Hello!" Ami said, bowing.

"Aren't you polite? Please to meet you. I'm Joseph." Joseph replied, bowing deeply.

"But…you asked about kids? As in you have more than just Madoka?" Rachel replied.

"Madoka was one from my first marriage." Joseph said.

"Why don't we sit down before we continue?" Rachel said, pointing to her couch.

…

So now Rachel had pulled up two chairs, one for herself, and one for Ami. Madoka sat next to her father on the couch. Everyone, including Ami, had a nice cup of tea in front of them.

"So, now that we are more situated, would you please explain what you meant by 'first marriage'?" Rachel asked.

"Well, Madoka's mother was a beautiful samurai of great power. I guess that part passed down to Madoka" Joseph said, rubbing Madoka's head as he said it.

"So, what happened to Madoka's mom?" Ami asked out of curiosity.

"Ami! It's not polite to ask that sort of thing!" Rachel whispered.

"It's quite alright, Rachel-san. She's a little girl. She's bound to have curiosity." Joseph responded. "But…Madoka's mother…was killed."

Both Ami and Rachel gasped.

"They gasp every time." Madoka said, though both she and Joseph still had smiles on their faces.

"But…you seem rather…happy about it." Rachel replied.

"Because she died honorably." Madoka said.

"She died protecting her daughter." Joseph finished.

"But…how?" Rachel asked.

Joseph would then explain. Joseph had come to Japan, and he and a samurai woman fell in love with each other. But Madoka's mother had broken her monastery's law by falling in love with Joseph. She had gotten pregnant, and had given birth. She and Joseph, along with the newly-born Madoka, then had to flee to get away from the samurai that were chasing them with the intent of killing Madoka's mother, along with Madoka herself. When they were about to be caught, Madoka's mother gave Madoka to Joseph, and told them to run. Joseph ended up putting Madoka outside a different monastery to be taken care of, while he continued to flee. He then managed to escape by faking that he threw Madoka into the river and drown her.

"…I then fled back to America, because I knew they would be watching me." Joseph finished. "Then I came back, tracked Madoka down, and told her that I was her father."

Ami was no longer in her own chair. She had crawled into Rachel's lap for comfort. The story had made her start to cry.

In truth, both Joseph and Madoka had to wipe their eyes. They both had gotten rather teary-eyed during the story.

"What a sad story…" Rachel replied. "It must be sad for you."

"It is, quite." Joseph said. "Not a day goes by that I don't wonder if I did the right thing by leaving her behind like that. But then, whenever I look at Madoka, and know that I'm still here, protecting her legacy, everything feels ok."

Madoka had to hug her father tightly.

Rachel wiped a tear away from her face. "So…what are you doing nowadays?"

"Taking care of some more of my kids, one of them being Madoka's half-brother." Joseph said.

"Oh, is that so?" Rachel said.

"Yes, from my next marriage, one that I kind of used as cover, though I still fell in love with her anyway." Joseph said. "Maybe you know her. Naoko Wada?"

"Wada-san, huh? Well, it's a small world after all!" Rachel replied. "And is she here?"

"I'm afraid not. She and the three kids are at home in America. I came here to see Madoka, as well as pay respects to my beloved first wife." Joseph responded.

Then Rachel had an idea.

"Say, Joseph, I was wondering…I have some friends that need to come to America next week to get a visa for their daughter. They need somewhere to stay, and someone to watch over them. I was wondering if you'd be free then?"

"Oh, absolutely! I'd be glad to help! And I'm sure Naoko would be glad too!" Joseph responded.

"Well, thank you so much! I'd be glad to let them know! Are you going to be staying here in Japan for a while?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, I will. I'll be staying in a hotel for the time being. I have some catching up to do with Madoka." Joseph replied.

"Well, again, thank you so much!" Rachel responded. She put Ami down on the floor, and bowed.

"Really, it's nothing." Joseph replied.

…

Later

…

"Really?!" Kaorin responded happily.

"Yeah, Rachel said she talked to Wada-san's husband, and he's going to watch us while we're in America!" Kagura said, filled with excitement.

Kagura, Kaorin, and Koharu all sat on their couch in their living room.

"Well, that's good. Listen, Natsuko, I know that I kind of blew up at you when Pan first came here, and…I guess this is my way of saying I'm sorry…I want you to know that I still trust you, and above all, love you." Kaorin responded.

"Well, I love you too, and…I promise that nothing will happen while I'm in America." Kagura said.

The two of them shared in a romantic kiss.

Kaorin then pulled back, and stood up. She walked away from the couch, before turning around.

"But…I still want to send Koharu with you." Kaorin said.

"Huh?!" Koharu suddenly responded. She could have SWORE that Kaorin would have kept her grounded during that time.

"I know she desperately wants to go, and will stop at nothing to protect her sister." Kaorin said. "Besides, I think with Koharu may know English better"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Kagura asked defensively.

"Oh, you know…" Kaorin said, giving an evil grin to Kagura. "…That thing Yukari told me about."

"Wh-wh-what thing?" Kagura stuttered.

Kaorin then started by waving her arms frantically, and speaking in English:

"Help me!! Help me!!"

Kagura's face turned a dark shade of red as Kaorin finished by saying:

"Help me!! (_thumbs up_) Yay!!"

Kaorin walked away laughing, leaving an utterly embarrassed Kagura on the couch with Koharu.

"Um…Natsuko-mama, what's she talking about?" Koharu asked.

"I-it's…nothing." Kagura managed to get out.

…

Meanwhile, Madoka and Joseph kneeled by an urn in an old monastery.

"Thank you, mother, for protecting me that faithful day." Madoka said.

"We both miss you" Joseph said.

The two of them put their heads to the ground in a deep bow.

…

Author's notes: Reference to the Anime!!

You guys may recognize Kaorin's taunting of Kagura and her (_cough_) English speaking skills

So now Madoka's father, Joseph, is going to be helping Kagura, Osaka, Pan, and Koharu through America. And things could not have turned out better!

Next Chapter: The Weird Family


	107. The Weird Family

The Weird Family

…

Saturday, May 16th (One week later)

…

Kagura, Kaorin, Koharu, Osaka, Arata, Pan, Joseph, and Madoka all stood at the airport.

…

Kagura and Kaorin pulled out of their hug.

"Please, be careful." Kaorin said.

"Just don't get lonely without the two of us there." Kagura replied.

The two of them quickly kissed.

Then Kaorin bent down to Koharu. "Make sure to take care of your Natsuko-mama for me."

"Don't worry, Kaori-kaa-san, I will." Koharu replied.

The two of them quickly hugged, and Kaorin kissed Koharu's cheek.

Then Kagura and Koharu headed for the plane.

…

"You got your Anti-clone spray?" Arata asked.

"Yup." Osaka replied.

"Alien repellent?"

"Yup."

"Then I think that's pretty much it." Arata finished.

"Well, be safe here alone, Arata. I shall return soon." Osaka replied.

"Ok, Ayumu."

The two quickly hugged. Arata felt a pull on his pants leg. He looked down to see Pan.

He knelt down.

"Yes, Pan?" Arata asked.

Pan almost knocked him backwards when she hugged him.

"Goodbye, Arata" Pan replied "I'll be back soon."

Arata wrapped his arms around Pan, a smile on his face.

"Goodbye, Pan. I shall wait for your return." Arata responded.

The two of them let go of each other, and Osaka and Pan headed for the plane.

…

Joseph and Madoka pulled out of the hug.

"And Madoka…when your next birthday comes around, I'll have a big surprise for you." Joseph said.

"Then I look forward to seeing it, father." Madoka replied with a smile.

The two quickly hugged again, and Joseph kissed Madoka's cheek.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too, father." Madoka replied.

Joseph then left for the plane.

…

The three standing at the airport waved goodbye while the 5 that were headed onto the plane waved goodbye as well.

"Hey, Natsuko!" Kaorin called out.

Kagura looked back.

Kaorin gave her a thumbs-up. "Yay!"

Kagura blushed indecently before quickly turning around and getting on the plane, causing Kaorin to laugh.

…

The plane ride there was rather quiet. Osaka ended up falling asleep, while Kagura just looked out the window, thinking about how her life had changed rather suddenly.

Pan was nervous the entire ride. Koharu, who was sitting right next to her, grabbed hold of her hand.

…

Upon landing

…

"Well, guys, I guess we're here." Joseph said, as he stood up. He suddenly stopped, and noticed a sleeping Osaka. "Um…someone wanna wake her up?"

Osaka got a goofy grin in her sleep. "hehe…yeah…Sata Andagi…"

Kagura sighed. "I guess I'll wake her up."

Kagura nudged on Osaka's shoulder. Osaka stirred, making a grouchy face, before opening her eyes.

"Hey, Osaka-san, we landed." Joseph said.

"Is there a bathroom open?" Osaka asked suddenly.

"Um…yes?" Joseph responded.

"Good." Osaka immediately unbuckled herself, ran out of her seat, and into the nearest available stall.

Everyone in the plane heard the sound of someone vomiting.

Osaka came back out of the bathroom.

"Mah god, when is this gonna end?" Osaka asked no one in particular.

"You're pregnant, right?" Joseph said. "This whole puking thing is gonna last throughout the first trimester. Then you move on to second trimester, and that's when things start to get weird."

"Weird?" Osaka asked, sounding a bit worried.

"Yeah." Joseph said. "See, when my wife was pregnant, she went through a bunch of infrequent mood swings, and insistent weird cravings during her second trimester."

"Man, pregnancy sounds like hell." Kagura commented.

"It is." Joseph replied.

"I still have no idea what pregnancy is." Koharu whispered to Pan, as all five of them got off of the plane.

…

The five of them walked through the airport, and something caught Joseph's eye.

"Ah, there she is." He said with a smile.

Joseph walked up to a woman with long blonde hair, and a semi-spacey look in her blue eyes.

"I missed you, Naoko" Joseph said.

Joseph bent down a bit, and the two kissed passionately.

Kagura sighed. "Not even five minutes in America, and already I'm missing Kaorin."

The two kissers pulled back, and the woman looked behind Joseph.

"Kagura-san? Osaka-san? Is that really you?" The girl asked with a smile. Her face could be expressed as very warm and welcoming.

"Wait…Wada-san?!" Osaka suddenly exclaimed.

"Yes!" Wada said. "You do remember me!"

"Wait, so how old are you?" Osaka asked Joseph.

"Well, I'm coming up on my 43rd birthday here soon." Joseph replied.

"But…Wada-san, you're only 23." Osaka then said to Wada.

"24 actually." Wada replied, still maintaining that welcoming smile.

"Um…he seems a bit…old…for you, don't you think?" Kagura asked.

"Love is blind to such things as age." Wada said. "He is a wonderful man, who treats me well every day, and he also took my last name."

"So, that would make you Joseph Wada?" Osaka asked.

"Yup." Joseph replied.

A moment of silence passed.

"So…what just happened here?" Koharu asked Kagura.

"I'll explain later." Kagura said.

"Well, we'd better get going. The kids are waiting out in the car." Wada said.

The five would then follow Wada out of the airport.

…

The van that they were taking suddenly became very crowded, as they ended up with more passengers than they were expecting.

Joseph got into the front passengers seat. Wada, Kagura, and Osaka all crammed into the middle seat.

Then, there was another woman in the front driver's seat, with shorter black hair and dark brown eyes.

Koharu and Pan got into the very back seat, with Pan up against the window, and Koharu next to her.

For in the back with them were three other kids, two girls and one boy.

One girl, who sat right next to Koharu, had semi-long blonde hair, and dark brown eyes.

The next girl looked vaguely familiar, but no one could really place her face. She had very dark brown hair, almost to the point of being black. She also had something unique: one brown eye, and one blue eye. Koharu could have swore she had her Kaori-kaa-san's haircut, but longer.

Next finally came the boy sitting by the window. He had black hair, and blue eyes. They guessed him to be the son of Joseph and Wada.

Once everyone was situated and buckled, the woman in the driver's seat started up the car, and they drove off.

…

A while down the road

…

It had been utterly silent up to this point. The woman in the driver's seat decided to break the silence.

"So…anyone recognize me?"

Utter silence. Looking in the rear view mirror, both Kagura and Osaka were looking at her, trying to place their finger on it.

"It's me! Akane Matsuda!" she said.

"Matsuda-san? Wow, to meet the two of you here now…" Kagura responded. "Wait…why ARE you here?"

"Driving my wife and her husband back home." Matsuda responded.

"Oh…" Kagura said. "Wait…your wife…and…her….husband?"

"Yes, I'm also married to Matsuda." Wada said.

"Is that even possible?" Osaka asked.

"We had our wedding papers filled out in the Netherlands." Joseph explained.

"Boy, that place is really useful!" Kagura said. "Wait…so…Matsuda-san is married to Wada-san who's married to Joseph?"

"Yeah…" Wada said, sighing happily.

"How can you love two people at the same time?!" Kagura asked.

"I'm bi-sexual." Wada replied.

"And you two are ok with this?" Osaka asked the two in the front.

"We each have our own positives." Matsuda said. "Joseph and I live together peacefully. Though I may not love him, he is a very good friend, and a wonderful husband for Wada."

"And we all have kids!" Joseph said happily. "That's something that kind of binds us all together."

"Wait, how old are these kids?" Kagura asked.

"They're all 6." Joseph responded.

Kagura and Osaka turned their heads to the back.

Pan was staring out the window. Koharu was paying far too much attention to Pan to want to talk to the other kids. And the other three were either listening in to their parents talk, or looking out the window themselves.

"Pan! Koharu!" Kagura hissed.

The two kids turned their attentions to Kagura, who nudged her head towards the other kids.

"Oh…um…so, what's your name?" Koharu asked the girl sitting next to her.

"I'm Wakana." She said.

"She's Naoko and Akane's child" Joseph explained. "Blood transfusion allowed Akane to get pregnant with her."

"So, Wada-san and Matsuda-san's child, huh?" Kagura said, looking back.

"Uh-huh!" Wakana replied. "Hey, wanna feel something cool?" she asked Koharu.

"Huh? Um…sure?" Koharu said, a bit unsure on how to take it.

Wanaka grabbed Koharu's hand, and placed it on the right side of Koharu's chest.

Koharu felt her heartbeat.

"Now feel." Wanaka moved Koharu's hand to the right side of her own chest.

And Koharu was suddenly creeped out.

For she felt…nothing.

Koharu forcefully pulled her hand back, giving Wanaka a creeped out look.

"You…have no heartbeat…you're…a zombie!!" Koharu screamed.

"WAH!! A ZOMBIE RIGHT IN THE VEHICLE!!" Osaka screamed.

Wanaka quickly re-grabbed Koharu's hand, and put it against the left side of her chest.

Koharu stopped. She felt a heartbeat.

"What the…?"

"What? What is it, Koharu?" Pan asked.

"I feel a heartbeat…on the left side." Koharu said.

"Yeah, I have…de..de…dextrocardia." Wanaka said.

"Or, to be more accurate…" Wada took a deep breath "Dextrocardia Situs Inversus Totalis."

"And I'm totally lost." Kagura replied.

"It's where all the organs in her body are on the opposite side of where they're supposed to be." Matsuda said.

"Woah…" Osaka said. "Weird…"

"We're all one big weird, happy family." Wada replied with a smile.

"Wow…" Koharu continued to focus on her hand on the left side of Wanaka's chest, and could still feel her heartbeat.

Finally, Koharu took her hand off of Wanaka's chest.

"So, um…what's your name?" Koharu asked the next girl (the black/blue eyed one)

"I'm Megumi. Please to meet you." She said.

"So…besides the two different colored eyes, what's weird about you?" Koharu asked.

"Koharu!! That's rude!!" Kagura hissed.

"Sorry, Natsuko-mama." Koharu said, hanging her head.

"I'm sorry about that." Kagura said to Wada.

"It's quite alright." Wada replied.

"So, who's child is she?" Kagura asked.

"I'm adopted." Megumi said.

"You are?" Koharu asked.

"Yes." Megumi said. "Dad found me in a basket outside of the house."

"And I couldn't just leave the poor thing alone, she was only a baby at the time. So, we adopted her." Joseph explained.

"And he always says that the weird thing is…" Megumi pulled up her shirt. "…I have no belly button."

Koharu, Pan, Kagura, and Osaka all went wide-eyed at this statement.

Pan and Koharu leaned over to indeed find that Megumi had no belly button.

Kagura and Osaka looked at each other.

They were both wondering the same thing.

Was it possible that nobody knew where Megumi came from?

"Uh, um…so, how about you?" Kagura asked the boy off to the far left.

"The name's Jin." The boy said.

"He's Wada's and my son." Joseph said. "She got pregnant…well, you know…'the natural way'."

"Oh, so like how I got pregnant with Arata, huh?" Osaka asked.

_Though I highly doubt love potion number 9 was involved with them_, Kagura thought with a slight smile.

"So, what's weird with you?" Kagura asked.

"Nothing." Jin grumbled. "I'm the only normal one."

"He's afraid of dogs." Megumi said, causing Jin to madly blush.

"Hey!! Don't tell them that!!" Jin yelled.

"Hey, it's ok. We actually know someone at home who has the same fear." Kagura replied, thinking of Nekosa.

With all the introductions gone, Pan returned her attention to what was out the window. Her attention became more focused when she realized where they were.

"So, what exactly brings you back to America, anyway?" Joseph asked.

"Well, little Pan in the back there, that's her near the window, ended up in Japan, though we don't know how. So the police had to send her back to America to get a visa filled out." Kagura explained. "And we all came with her. That's her sister in the back next to her. Her name is Koharu."

"Well, we'll be glad to let you guys stay at our house for the week, seeing as how we have a spare bedroom." Joseph said.

"Wow…are you guys like…rich or something?" Koharu asked.

"KOHARU!" Kagura yelled suddenly. "When we get back home, we are going to have a serious talk with your Kaori-kaa-san about your manners!"

"It's quite alright." Joseph responded with a laugh. "We are not rich, by any means, but all three of us working with college degrees, and combining our wages, we have enough to live a little."

"It was quite wonderful. We ended up with kids immediately after leaving high school, but we worked our way through college online, and were able to get our degrees that way." Matsuda said.

In the meantime, Pan's eyes were going wide again. They were now entering Nowhere, Oklahoma, right into her hometown…

…

Author's notes: So, this chapter pretty much explained the entire Wada/Matsuda family.

Naoko Wada – She's bisexual, and married to both Joseph and Matsuda. She gave birth to Jin, her and Joseph's child.

Akane Matsuda – She's married to Wada, and gave birth to their child, Wanaka.

Joseph Wada – Is married to Wada, but was the father of Madoka from a previous marriage.

Jin Wada – Son of Wada and Joseph. He's afraid of dogs.

Wanaka Wada-Matsuda – The child of Wada and Matsuda. She has dextrocardia (or the really long name above), so all of her organs are on the opposite side of her body.

Megumi – She was adopted. She has one brown eye, one blue eye, and no belly button.

So, what's going to happen next? Look to the next chapter, and find out!

Oh, new copyrights:

Wanaka is copyrighted by me.

Jin is copyrighted by both me and Anime Rebirth.

Next Chapter: The First Visit


	108. The First Visit

The First Visit

…

"So, how do your kids know Japanese so well?" Kagura asked. "Even to the point of knowing how to say de…de…"

"Dextrocardia." Wada finished with a smile. "And we've taught them, both how to speak Japanese…"

"And how to speak English" Matsuda finished in almost-perfect English.

"So, how do you three have sex?" Osaka asked.

"Osaka! Not in front of the kids!" Kagura hissed.

Joseph got a nasty grin. "Well, see, Matsuda's usually on top of Wada, and I'm in the back…"

"GAH!! Mental Images!!" Kagura screamed, causing Joseph, Wada, and Matsuda to all laugh.

"So, why weren't you guys at the class reunion?" Osaka asked.

"Well, you see, we were on our honeymoon." Wada explained. "We never got the chance to go, seeing as how were busy with kids and getting our online degrees…"

"STOP THE CAR!!"

Pan's scream caused Matsuda to slam on the brakes. Everyone lurched forward, Joseph slammed his head on the dashboard, and Osaka almost threw up. Luckily, everyone had their seatbelts on.

The screeching of the vehicle finally stopped, the vehicle itself coming to a halt.

"Is everyone ok?" Matsuda asked.

"I'll be fine." Joseph said, rubbing his forehead.

"We're ok." Jin called from the back.

The side door to the van opened, and Osaka jumped out, and threw up on the curb.

"Um…she'll be fine…" Kagura commented. "Hey, where's Pan?"

Koharu looked into the seat next to her to find it empty. She looked outside the van to find Pan staring at a house.

Pan remained utterly frozen.

There it was…the house where her parents were murdered before her own eyes…

It was a white two-story house, with blue shingles. Something else was there was now yellow police tape all around the house.

"She know about that house?" Joseph asked Kagura, both of them still in the vehicle.

"I…don't know…" Kagura responded.

"I watched the news. Said some poor parents were killed in that house, and the kid disappeared without a trace." Matsuda said.

Joseph looked back to the house in utter awe. "My god…wait…you don't think…?"

"Pan could have been the child that disappeared, do you?" Matsuda finished.

The van remained quiet. Koharu got out, and walked towards Pan.

"Pan…are you ok?" Koharu asked.

Pan didn't answer. Instead, she walked forward, past the yellow tape.

"Pan, wait!! You can't go in there!" Koharu said. Pan wouldn't listen. She just continued to walk forward.

"Pan…!" Koharu ran after Pan.

Kagura got out of the van now, and walked towards the house. As she reached the yellow tape, she looked around to make sure no cops were around, before crossing under it.

Osaka, finally regaining her ability to hold her stomach contents down, stood up, and walked to where the rest of them had gone.

"So…what are we supposed to do now?" Matsuda asked.

"We wait." Wada said, a very-rare serious look on her face.

Joseph, Matsuda, Wada, and all three kids in the back all watched the four that had left the van.

…

Pan slowly walked. Already she could see the doorway, which was missing the door, much in thanks to the samurai who had sliced it in half. As she walked closer, she looked inside.

"Pan!" Koharu placed one hand on Pan's shoulder, having finally caught up. "What are you doing?"

Pan, tears in her eyes, pointed into the doorway. Koharu looked, and could see a chalk outline of where a body had been.

"That's…where my dad died." Pan said softly.

In utter shock, Koharu's hand dropped from Pan's shoulder.

Pan walked in the doorway, making sure not to step in the chalk outline, or on it, for fear of possibly disturbing some crucial evidence.

At this point, Kagura and Osaka walked up behind the still stunned Koharu.

"This…is where she was. Her adoptive parents…they died here." Koharu said.

Kagura and Osaka looked at the outline of the body in front of them. To know that Pan witnessed the death of her parents…

Koharu, Kagura, and Osaka stepped inside the same way Pan did, and saw the other outline, along with Pan, the tears running down her face.

"This…is where my mom was killed."

Pan almost forcefully turned away from it, and slowly walked up the stairs.

Kagura and Osaka remained stunned. To have to witness the murder of loved ones like that was beyond anything they could imagine…

Koharu felt the need to follow her sister. She turned away, and went up the stairs after Pan.

Koharu saw the doorway to Pan's bedroom, cleanly sliced in half. And further into the room, on the floor, on her knees now, was Pan.

Koharu walked up, and could hear the quiet sobbing of her sister.

When she stood over Pan, she could see it. Pan's teddy bear, which was also sliced up, with the fluff everywhere.

"His…name…was…Teddy…" Pan said, on the verge of crying. "He…was…my…mothers…sh-She…gave…him…to…m-me…"

Koharu knelt down beside Pan, and pulled her in. Pan began to cry hard into Koharu. Koharu could even feel a few tears run down her own face.

…

Kagura and Osaka had taken notice to the pictures that were still on the wall. They could easily see that man and that woman…and how they looked so happy with Pan…

"Makes you wonder, doesn't it?" Osaka said. "Why something so perfect…was destroyed over hatred towards something you couldn't even control."

"The thing that makes me the saddest, Osaka…is that…they could have chosen to just put Pan up for adoption. Same with Megumi for Joseph. But they chose to take them in. To raise them as their own kids…" Kagura replied. She continued to stare at one picture: One of the man, the woman, and Pan, all standing there, smiling. "…without even knowing us, they took our kid that we didn't even know about, and raised her. And then they were killed for it."

Kagura and Osaka heard a noise behind them. They turned to find Pan and Koharu walking down the stairs. Pan still had tears running down her face, Koharu had what looked like fluff in her arms, and a bag with the strap on her shoulder.

Pan walked over to Kagura. Kagura picked her up, and pulled her in tightly, so she could be carried and hugged.

Koharu came walking over. "Do you think we have something to carry this in?"

"I think I may have just the thing in the car, Koharu-chan." Osaka replied.

…

Kagura and Pan returned to the van, and got in. Kagura buckled the two of them together, Pan still being hugged.

Osaka and Koharu went around to the back. Osaka pulled out a bag, opened it up, and pulled out an empty plastic bag.

"You carry around empty bags?" Koharu asked.

"You never know when you'll need an empty bag, Koharu-chan." Osaka replied.

"That's my Osaka-sempai!" Koharu replied with a smile.

Koharu put all the fluff, along with the two pieces of teddy bear, inside the bag. They then tied the top, placed it in the back, and closed it.

Koharu then tossed the bag in the back.

"What's in there?" Osaka asked.

"It's a bunch of stuff Pan had packed to go when she was going to leave. She tells me they were headed on vacation to Japan…to come meet us." Koharu said.

A moment of silence passed. Both of them thought about that: Had they decided to leave early for Japan, they might have avoided the samurai, and Pan's parents just may have been alive today.

_No, you can't think like that_, Koharu thought to herself.

Pan and her parents would have never known that the samurai was coming. If they would have, of course they would have left early. It was something that had just been unexpected.

Koharu and Osaka then got in, closed the door and buckled themselves, and the van drove off.

"A-Ayu-mama?" Pan asked. "C-can you f-fix my T-Teddy?"

"I'm afraid I don't know how to sew." Osaka said.

"I can mend clothes, but I'm afraid I'm no repair-person. Sorry" Wada replied.

Matsuda and Kagura remained silent. Pan began to break down again.

"Hey, Pan." Koharu said from the back. "My Kaori-kaa-san can fix it. My Kaori-kaa-san can fix anything!"

"R-really?" Pan asked.

"I can guarantee it." Koharu said with a smile.

…

Author's notes: So we see our visit to the house where Pan's adoptive parents were killed.

Sorry this chapter seemed to have ended rather suddenly, but the next chapter picks up where this one left off.

Next Chapter: More on the Weird Family


	109. More on the Weird Family

More on the Weird Family

…

After just a bit more driving, they finally reached the Wada-Matsuda house.

The house was a nice two-story white house with brown shingles. Inside, from the doorway, the stairs to the second floor were on the right. On the first floor was a nice big living room, with a very long couch (obviously for their large 6-person family) along with a few chairs all turned towards a nice big screen TV. Opposite of the TV was a bookshelf, adorned with all sorts of books, from educational to Japanese manga. To the immediate left of the bookcase was one guest bedroom, and to the right of the television was another guest room. One doorway straight across from the entrance led to the kitchen and dining room.

Then upstairs were all the rooms, along with a bathroom. The bathroom came first on the left, followed by Joseph's, Wada's and Matsuda's room next on the right, followed by Wanaka's room on the left, then Jin's room on the right, then Megumi's room at the end of the hallway.

So they unpacked. Even through much of it, everyone who helped with the unpacking remained silent.

So now we join Wada and Matsuda, up in their room, sitting on their bed, as Joe comes in, an ice pack on his forehead.

"Sorry about that, Joseph." Matsuda said, "That Pan girl screamed out, and I just slammed on the brakes."

"Nah, I understand." Joseph said, pulling the icepack away from his forehead, showing the bruise. "How's it look?"

"Looks better" Wada replied with a smile.

Joseph put the icepack back on his head, and sat down next to Wada.

A moment of silence passed.

"Quite the thing…with Pan." Joseph finally said, breaking the silence.

Matsuda sighed. "I can't even begin to imagine how she feels…would be like our own kids having to watch us die."

Wada suddenly looked upwards, a thought in mind. "Did you guys notice? When Megumi introduced herself? When she said she had no belly button, it almost seemed like they knew something."

Joseph and Matsuda looked to their wife.

"I think they may know something about Megumi that we don't." Wada continued.

"Well, do you think we should ask 'em?" Joseph asked.

Wada and Matsuda remained silent.

"Hold that thought." Joseph said. "I've gotta go to the bathroom."

…

While that was going on, Pan and Jin were outside, sitting underneath a tree, relaxing.

"You got to meet my sister, huh?" Jin asked.

Pan just nodded.

"Heh…I love my sister. I wanna grow up to be just like her. But she always tells me that 'it's a dangerous life to lead.' Bah! Just have her watch! I'm gonna grow up to be an awesome samurai someday!!" Jin said.

"I…like kendo stuff…it's neat." Pan said quietly.

"Neat? Neat?! It's awesome!!" Jin struck back.

…

Meanwhile, Koharu sat up in Wanaka's room, with Wanaka digging in her closet.

"So, you said you'd show me something else that was cool?" Koharu asked.

"Yeah, something related to the Legend of Zelda series…" Wanaka said. "Hold on…Got it!!"

Wanaka held a blue ocarina high up in the air.

…

_Dada da DAAAAA!!_

Wanaka found the ocarina in her closet!

…

"Woah!" Koharu exclaimed. "It's the…!"

"Well, it was made to be a collector's item, but I had this made so it actually plays." Wanaka said. "My favorite tune on this is the song of storms. Wanna hear?"

"Sure!!" Koharu said excitedly.

Wanaka put the mouth piece of the ocarina to her mouth, and began to play.

Wanaka played that ocarina perfectly to the song of storms. Koharu ended up bobbing her head back and forth to the music she knew so well from her Natsuko-mama's N64.

And almost as if on cue, Kagura came running into the room, which made Wanaka stop.

"Wha…? I could have swore I just heard Legend of Zelda up here!" Kagura exclaimed.

"You did! Wanaka has an ocarina!" Koharu said excitedly.

"Really?!" Kagura asked.

"YAAAAAAAAAH!!" The yelling made Kagura, Koharu, and Wanaka look outside the room. Joseph had just jumped out of the bathroom, breathing heavily, and looking like he had just seen a ghost.

"What is it, Joseph?" Kagura asked.

Megumi came running upstairs. "Daddy, what's…..YAAAAAAAAAH!!" One look inside the bathroom had Megumi screaming just as her father did.

Kagura, Koharu, and Wanaka all looked inside the bathroom, and saw it. A gigantic spider on the wall.

"Kill it!! Kill it!!" Megumi screamed.

Kagura simply walked into the bathroom, grabbed a piece of toilet paper, and squished the spider.

"Oh, thank you Kagura-san!" Joseph replied with a deep sigh of relief.

"No problem." Kagura replied nonchalantly, as she threw away the toilet paper. "Are you afraid of spiders?"

"Actually, yes, I am." Joseph responded, seemingly embarrassed by it. "And so is Megumi."

"Spiders are scary" Megumi said, shaking a bit.

"Well, no problem. We each have our own fears." Kagura replied with a smile.

As Kagura walked out of the bathroom, Joseph stood up, and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Kagura-san, when Megumi said she had no belly button, you acted like you knew something about her. So, I was wondering, do you?" Joseph asked in a very serious tone. Megumi listened intently.

Kagura hesitated for a moment. This meant that Joseph, Wada, and Matsuda didn't know where Megumi came from.

Kagura looked to Koharu, who just nodded.

"Ok, Joseph, I'll tell you, but I want to tell everyone all at once." Kagura said.

…

So, the entire Wada-Matsuda family now gathered in the large living room, with Kagura, Koharu, Osaka, and Koharu sitting opposite to them.

"You guys, you asked me if we knew anything about Megumi." Kagura began. "And…" she took a deep breath. "…we do. Koharu, if you would."

Koharu lifted up her shirt to show that she had no belly button, the same as Megumi.

"Pan is the same way." Kagura said. "She came from a corporation that manufactured children. They all used our DNA to make kids for the sole purpose of being weapons."

Megumi looked like she had been hit by a bomb. Her eyes were wide, and she looked as though it was totally unbelievable.

"Megumi-san…" Kagura continued. "The corporation considered you a failure, much in the way they considered a bunch of the other kids failures, including Koharu and Pan."

Megumi's eyes watered up. She looked as though she wouldn't be able to handle it.

"But know that that's the reason you ended up on Joseph's doorstep. All of the failures were actually supposed to be killed." Kagura said.

Megumi's eyes suddenly stopped watering. "K-killed?!"

"Yes. Killed. It was only because of the actions of a few people that we know that the corporation didn't kill you." Kagura replied. "And know that the family you have now loves you and protects you, the same that I do with both Koharu and Pan."

Megumi smiled. So, she was living because her family loved her, and someone had seen that love could be provided here.

Megumi gave a hug to Joseph, who was sitting next to her.

"Th-thank you, Dad." Megumi said.

Joseph just returned Megumi's hug, a tear running down his happy face.

…

That night, the entire group of people in the household went to sleep.

And Pan, who hadn't slept a full night since after the incident with her sister and friends being captured, slept all night that night, without a single nightmare in her mind.

…

Author's notes: I ripped on LoZ so bad in that first part.

Yeah, a short chapter, saying that Megumi is an Azu-child.

Megumi is actually the Azu-child of Kaorin and Sakaki, created by Anime Rebirth.

So, now we actually go back to Japan for the next chapter, and find out what happens with the other families during the week that Pan, Koharu, Kagura, and Kaorin are gone!

Next Chapter: The discovery about Nekosa


	110. The Discover about Nekosa

The Discovery about Nekosa

Note: Sakaki family focus

…

Now we change focus back to Japan, to find a few things that happened with some of the other characters while Koharu, Kagura, Pan, and Osaka were off in America.

…

Joe was walking through a meadow of flowers.

He looked around himself, admiring the beauty of the flowers.

Suddenly, Sakaki came up behind him, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

A smile appeared on both faces, and the two touched foreheads.

Being so close to his wife…

He heard the laughter of a child. Nekosa came running through the flowers and wrapped her arms around his leg.

"Otousan…"

Yeah, that loving feeling of family…

"Otousan…"

The ground began to shake, causing all three of them to fall to the ground.

"What's going on?!" Sakaki yelled.

"Otousan…"

Then, total blackness…

"Otousan…"

Joe groaned. Now he realized just what had happened. That had been a dream. And that earthquake? Nekosa was shaking him, trying to wake him up.

"Otousan…"

"What, Nekosa?" Joe groaned, keeping his eyes closed.

"Okaasan's not up yet" Nekosa said.

"So?" Joe asked grumpily.

"U-um…well…" Nekosa had been taken back a bit by her father's words. "I-I'm sorry…"

Joe felt a little guilty. He had snapped at Nekosa for no good reason.

"I'm sorry, Nekosa. I tend to be a little cranky when I first wake up." Joe opened his eyes, and noted that Sakaki was still wrapped in his arms, sleeping. She had moved herself downwards a bit from her pillow as well, and was sleeping against his chest.

He yawned a bit, and noticed that Nekosa was behind him up on the bed.

"So, why are concerned about your Okaasan not being awake?" Joe asked.

"Well, she's always up early in the morning, making breakfast!" Nekosa said.

Joe moved his head up a bit, and looked at the clock. It was only 7:30am, but Nekosa was still right. Sakaki was always up at 7am sharp, and usually making breakfast. It wasn't required of her or anything, she just always did it.

Joe painfully pulled away from Sakaki's warm body, and sat up, stretching and out and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he did.

"So, I'm guessing you want some breakfast?" Joe asked.

Nekosa nodded.

"Well, lucky for us, it's the only meal I can make really well." Joe joked as he got out of bed. "I'll be out in a minute."

"Ok, Otousan!" Nekosa piped happily as she jumped down from the bed, and ran out of the room, closing the door as she did.

Joe got out of bed, switched out PJ's for clothes, and left the room, closing the door behind himself as he did, deciding to let Sakaki sleep.

Joe checked the mail before he started breakfast. Most of the letters were typical bills…

One, however, was a package, from the Takino-Mizuhara residence.

Being very suspicious, he opened it up, and pulled it out.

It was a book entitled "What to expect when you're expecting: A book on pregnancy."

Also with it was a note: "Thought you might be able to use this. Yomi"

_Thanks, Yomi._ Joe thought with a grin.

He set the book on the table to read later, then went to make breakfast.

But as he did, for apparently no reason, he suddenly got a very large chill down his spine.

_What the heck was that?_ He wondered.

He simply shook off the feeling, and continued.

(Note: Remember this part, this comes back in the next chapter)

…

Sakaki would wake up at to the phone ringing. She rolled over in bed, and answered it.

"Hello?" Sakaki asked drowsily.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sakaki-san…" Chiyo responded on the other side. "Did I wake you?"

"Yeah, but it's about time I got up anyway…" Sakaki said, looking at her clock, which read 8:10am.

"Anyway, I was calling because I have some news about Nekosa-chan…" Chiyo said. "Would you be able to come to the hospital?"

"Oh…sure" Sakaki responded, sitting almost straight up. "How bad is it?"

"It's not bad, but I think it's something you should know." Chiyo said.

"Ok, I'll be there shortly." Sakaki said.

She hung up the phone and began getting ready.

…

Sakaki walked out of her room to find the typical pancakes and bacon on the table.

"Ah, Tanaka, good morning!" Joe said. "Sleep well?"

"Yes." Sakaki replied hastily.

She ran upstairs to the 'ladies' bathroom.

"Okaasan really had to go…" Nekosa said.

A few moments later, Sakaki re-emerged from the bathroom, and proceeded to go to the table to eat.

"So, who was that on the phone?" Joe asked.

"It was Chiyo-chan." Sakaki replied. "Some news about Nekosa."

"Oh…" Joe responded.

While Sakaki ate breakfast, Joe would start to think.

_This may be a good chance…_Joe thought.

Sakaki finished breakfast (rather quickly), and set her utensils down.

"So, what is it about me?" Nekosa asked.

"I don't know. She wants me to go to the hospital and find out." Sakaki replied.

"Well, I'll go with you then." Joe said.

"Me, too!" Nekosa replied.

At this, Joe got up, walked over and sat down next to Nekosa.

"Actually, Nekosa, I would like you to stay here." Joe said.

"What?!" Both Nekosa and Sakaki yelled.

"Y-y-you…don't want me to come?" Nekosa asked, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"No, that's not it!" Joe said. "It's just…" Joe sighed deeply. He knew this was going to be hard.

"Nekosa, you need to learn to be ok on your own, so you can go to school next year." Joe began. "It's not that we don't want you to go, I just think this is a perfect opportunity to leave you home alone. We'll be gone for a few minutes, and we'll be home afterwards. I promise."

"B-but…I wanna know!" Nekosa whined.

"I know you do. And I promise we'll tell you when we get back." Joe said.

Nekosa looked down at the table, kind of pouting, and looking a little sad as well.

Joe pulled her in for a hug. "Hey, be happy. If you're good while we're gone, we'll take you somewhere special, ok?"

"R-really?" Nekosa asked.

"Really" Joe said.

Sakaki smiled, and nodded her head.

This caused Nekosa to smile a little bit too. "O-ok, Otousan. I'll be good."

Joe kissed Nekosa's forehead, then stood up and went to get himself ready.

Sakaki hugged Nekosa tightly. "I'm so proud of you, Nekosa."

"Thanks, Okaasan." Nekosa said, returning the hug. "I'll be good, I promise."

Sakaki let Nekosa go, then ran to the bathroom again.

"Wow…" Joe said, popping his head out of his room. "This must be a side-effect of pregnancy…"

…

Joe and Sakaki walked out of the house, making sure to lock the door.

They had given Nekosa the usual rules any parents would give their kids when leaving them home alone: Don't answer the door, don't go anywhere, don't answer the phone, emergency phone numbers, etc.

Joe made sure to give her a bit of homework as well, so she would be totally bored.

But as they walked down the road, Sakaki kept looking back at the house.

"Do you think she's going to be ok?"

"She'll be fine." Joe reassured.

Another block down the road…

"Do you really think she's going to be ok?"

"She'll be fine!" Joe said, still smiling.

One more block down the road.

"Do you think she'll be ok?"

Joe burst out laughing.

"Tanaka, as long as she follows what we said, she'll be fine." he said after regaining his composure.

Still, every moment on the way to the hospital, Sakaki couldn't help but worry about Nekosa.

…

Joe and Sakaki arrived at the hospital, where child-form Chiyo was standing, waiting for them.

"Oh, good, there you are." Chiyo said. "Where's Nekosa?"

"She stayed at home. We're trying to teach her to be a bit more independent." Joe said.

"Where's your bathroom?" Sakaki asked.

"You just went before we left!!" Joe exclaimed.

"It's over that way." Chiyo said. After Sakaki left, Chiyo turned to Joe. "It's a side effect of pregnancy, first trimester. A constant need to go."

"She also woke up late this morning…" Joe pointed out.

"Tiredness. Another effect. Just make sure to read that book that Yomi sent you, ok?" Chiyo replied, giving a smile.

Once Sakaki came back, Chiyo led the two to a doctor's room.

…

"This is…amazing…" Sakaki said, as she stared into a microscope.

"I know." Chiyo replied in a serious tone.

Joe, Sakaki, and Chiyo stood in a room with a microscope, among other things that normally decorate a doctor's office. Joe was leaning up against the wall closest to the door, Sakaki was by the microscope on the left side of the room (from the door) and Chiyo was on the other side.

"So…what is it?" Joe asked, who was completely lost at that moment.

"Nekosa's cat side is dominant." Chiyo said. "Meaning that every kid she has, and every kid that kid has, and so on and so forth, will always have those cat like features."

"But the weird part is she seems to have multiple kinds of cat DNA inside of her, and only one will ever take dominance." Sakaki replied. "Including…Iriomote DNA"

"But…I thought the police reports said that Azami never made it to the island of Iromote." Chiyo said, thinking hard.

"I can answer that one." Joe said. "The American Black Market. Hell, it must have cost her a fortune, but she could very easily get it that way."

"So it would seem that Azami intended Nekosa to be a breeder" Chiyo said. "Because I look at Azami's DNA, and it didn't have those same features."

A moment of silence passed, as the three mauled over this information.

"So…" Joe said, breaking the silence. "What does this mean? Do we ever want Nekosa to have kids?"

At this point, Chiyo smiled.

"I would say yes." Chiyo said. "Sure, she'll have cat-kids every time, but…" Chiyo looked from Joe to Sakaki. "…with good parents such as yourselves, we know that they'll be good kids every time."

Joe and Sakaki smiled, and looked into each other's eyes.

_Yeah, they will be good kids,_ Joe and Sakaki thought.

…

Noon-ish

…

Joe and Sakaki said goodbye to Chiyo (Sakaki making another run to the bathroom), then they left the hospital.

"Wow…cat kids, huh?" Joe said, as he opened the door. "Taking care of kids like that is going to be interesting."

Sakaki nodded.

Upon reaching their house, Joe opened the door, and both he and Sakaki gasped in shock.

Their couch was completely slashed open on one side, with some of the fluff falling out.

It only took Joe about a second to react.

He began running through the house, screaming "Nekosa!!"

Sakaki remained stunned for about a second longer before running around like Joe was, also screaming "Nekosa!!"

Sakaki ran into her bedroom, and checked the closet. Nothing.

She was about to run back out, when she heard a noise.

_Geoooooooow_.

That noise…it sounded familiar…

Sakaki instantly stopped, and waited in the room for the noise again.

A moment later, it happened again.

_Geooooooow_

"Nekosa!!" Joe yelled as he went screaming by.

Sakaki grabbed hold, stopping him in his tracks.

"Listen" Sakaki whispered.

A moment passed.

'I don't hear anything…" Joe whispered back.

_Geoooooooooooooooooow_

Both parents went wide-eyed a little bit. The noise was getting louder.

"Sounds to me like an empty stomach…" Joe whispered back.

_That's what the noise was, _Sakaki thought.

The two parents very slowly walked into the room, and waited for another moment to pass.

_Geoooooooooooooooooooooooow_

"There" Joe said, pointing underneath the bed.

The two parents lied down on their stomachs, and looked underneath the bed.

There laid a very frightened looking Nekosa underneath the parents' bed.

"Nekosa, what happened?" Joe asked.

Nekosa tried to back herself up further underneath the bed.

"Nekosa, what's wrong?" Sakaki asked in that soothing mother voice.

"U-uh…I….I, uh…" Nekosa began.

"Yes?" Joe asked.

"I know you're going to be mad…" Nekosa said quietly, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

_Geooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow_

"How about this, then?" Joe said with a little smile. "You tell us what's wrong, and we'll get you something to eat, ok?"

Sakaki gave a warming smile.

"Um…well…see…" Nekosa was thinking. Did she want to tell them the truth, did she want to lie? "I…I…"

"Yes?" Joe said, still giving the smile.

"I…s-scratched up the couch." Nekosa said, as she began to cry softly.

"See now? Was that so hard?" Joe asked.

"Huh?" Nekosa asked in surprise. "You mean…you knew?"

"When we found you huddled under here, and you didn't want to tell us what happened, we knew it was you." Joe said.

"But you told us the truth…and we're proud of you for doing so." Sakaki added.

"R-really?" Nekosa said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Both parents nodded.

Sakaki extended one hand underneath the bed, which Nekosa crawled to, and grabbed hold of. Sakaki then pulled Nekosa out from underneath the bed, and pulled her into a hug, for which Joe also joined. Nekosa began purring loudly.

A moment passed with these three hugging, then, Joe pulled back.

"So, why'd you scratch the couch anyway?" Joe asked.

"I…I don't know…" Nekosa said. "I finished up your homework, I played some video games…then I looked at the couch, then at my claws…I don't know why I did it…"

Sakaki got out of the hug with Nekosa, and took hold of Nekosa's right hand. Sakaki held Nekosa's pointer finger at the second section with her, then put her own pointer finger on the top joint of Nekosa's finger, which caused Nekosa's cat-claw to extend.

It was still cut down a bit, but it was definitely sharper since the last time Sakaki looked at it.

"You've begun clawing" Sakaki said with a smile. "Guess we'll have to get you a scratching post."

"But…you're not…mad…about the couch?" Nekosa asked.

"Nekosa, you are far more important than a silly couch." Joe said. "We can have a million couches, we can only ever have one you."

Nekosa gave a cute smile, coupled with a really cute light blush.

Nekosa hugged Sakaki again, and Joe hugged the both of them.

"God, I love having a family like this" Joe said, a tear running down his face.

"And it's gonna be bigger soon…" Sakaki said.

This caused Joe to hug even tighter.

…

Well, true to their word, they went and got Nekosa a special present: her first scratching post. And Nekosa immediately went and 'broke it in'.

They also made sure to buy a new couch, and got rid of the old one. They would have kept it as a keepsake, but the one side was so scratched out that fluff would fall out every time someone sat down on it.

But at the store where they needed to get the couch, there was one small problem…

"Closed for cleaning?!" Sakaki almost yelled, reading the sign outside of the woman's bathroom.

"Um…maim…" A female employee said. "There's another bathroom down that way…"

ZOOOOOOOM!!

Sakaki went zooming past the employee.

"Either she must be pregnant, or she has a very bad bladder problem." The employee commented.

"Pregnant." Both Joe and Nekosa replied.

…

Author's notes: hehe… So Sakaki's gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now!

Well, now we switch over to the Takino-Mizuhara residence, and check in on them over the week!

Next Chapter: Tomo's Pregnancy pains


	111. Tomo's Pregnancy Begins

Tomo's Pregnancy Begins

Note: Please re-read Yotsuba Vol. 3 "Yotsuba and Asagi" before continuing on.

…

Tomo would wake up one morning, sit up in bed, and stretch out.

As she was rubbing her eyes, she noticed how something felt sore on her body…

She got out of bed, got dressed, and walked downstairs.

Koyomiko appeared to still be sleeping, but Yomi was in the kitchen, making breakfast.

Tomo walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Tomo" Yomi said happily. "How are you today?"

"My frickin' breasts hurt." Tomo responded grumpily, as she opened up the fridge.

Tomo never noticed it, due to being too focused on her breasts aching, but Yomi was waiting for something to happen with Tomo.

Then it happened…

Tomo turned around, closed the fridge door, and asked "Hey, Yomi, have you seen my soda?"

And with these words, Tomo launched total and utter chaos…

A butterfly would flap its wings, and cause a hurricane on the other side of the world…

A planet in a distant galaxy would explode for no reason…

Every god ever known would shiver and quake…

Madoka would sense a great disturbance…

And Joe would feel that deep chill run up and down his spine…

As Yomi turned to Tomo and showed off her very first wildcat grin.

Tomo fell on her butt, her eyes wide and mouth open in utter fear.

"Don't you know? Pregnant woman can't have soda" Yomi said, maintaining that wildcat smile. "Which means you can't have any soda for the next nine months!"

Tomo was now finding it hard to breathe. That wildcat grin coming off of Yomi was just far too frightening.

At that point, Koyomiko came happily walking into the kitchen, still in her PJ's. Yomi turned back to the pan she was working on, the wildcat smile now gone from her face.

"Good morning, Mama and Kaa-san!" Koyomiko said happily.

"Good morning, Koyomiko!" Yomi said happily.

Tomo remained in that frozen-in-fear position.

"Mama?" Koyomiko asked.

"Uh, G-g-good m-morning, Koyomiko" Tomo said, now regaining her composer.

Yomi added the last pancake to the tower, and grabbed hold of the plate.

"C'mon, you two, breakfast time!" Yomi said, as she walked into the dining room.

"Yay!" Koyomiko pipped in, as she followed Yomi.

Tomo stood up, and dusted off her butt.

_Maybe I'm getting to her a bit TOO much…_Tomo thought, as she went into the dining room.

…

"Well…" Yomi said after breakfast. "I think it's time now to go see our parents."

"Your parents?" Koyomiko asked.

"Meaning your grandparents. You haven't seen them yet, and we haven't seen them in a while." Yomi said.

"Yay! I get to go see my grandparents!!" Koyomiko pipped in happily.

"Well, better go get ready, so your Kaa-san and I can call them up!" Tomo said.

"Ok, Mama!" Koyomiko said happily, who then proceeded to head to her room to get dressed.

Tomo pulled out her cell phone to call her parents. Yomi went and used the home phone to call her mother.

"Hello?" Her mother replied.

"Hey Mom" Yomi replied.

"Yomi? Is that you? My goodness, it's been ages!" Mrs. Mizuhara replied. "You don't ever come and visit anymore!"

"It's been hectic for me, Mom." Yomi replied. "Listen, though. Tomo and I want to come over. We need to…catch up on a few things."

"So we do." Mrs. Mizuhara replied. "Well, I'll be looking forward to a more grown-up and mature Tomo...well, at least a more grown-up Tomo."

Both of them laughed.

"Well, ok, then, we'll be going to Tomo's parent's first, then we'll see you." Yomi said.

"Ok then, Yomi." Mrs. Mizuhara responded. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mom." Yomi replied before she hung up.

"R-really?!" Tomo said into the phone. "She's here?! We'll be right over!!" And she hung up the phone.

"What was that all about?" Yomi asked.

"It's my sister!!" Tomo exclaimed happily. "She's in town!!"

And Tomo zoomed out the door.

"kay, I'm ready!!" Koyomiko piped up, coming out of her room. "Eh? Where's Mama?"

"She's got a head start on us." Yomi replied.

Koyomiko gasped. "That Mama!! She's cheating!! Quick, Kaa-san!! Let's go!!"

Koyomiko grabbed Yomi's hand, and the two of them ran out the door.

…

A woman by the name of Torako Takino stood outside, smoking a cigarette.

Torako looked up at her silver car.

_Damn that Yotsuba. I'll still never forget the time she put fireworks on my car_, Torako thought.

She took another big inhale, and let out a big puff of smoke.

Suddenly, she could feel a rumbling…

She looked off into the distance, and saw some smoke…

And she saw what was causing the smoke…

A madly running Tomo Takino.

Torako dropped her cigarette, a look of shock on her face, and began running away.

But her blackened lungs slowed her down immensely, and Tomo was catching up…

Closer…

Closer…

"Torako Onee-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!" Tomo yelled, as she leapt into the air.

And Torako was Wildcat-glomped by Tomo.

"Hi, Torako Onee-chan!" Tomo said with a big wildcat grin.

"Hi, Tomo" Torako replied glumly.

Tomo sniffed the air.

"Still smokin', eh?" Tomo asked.

"Let's just say you've left a lasting impression on me" Torako responded.

"Awww…I love you too." Tomo said, giving Torako a hug.

Tomo got off of Torako, and the two of them stood up.

"Oh, guess what?!" Tomo said energetically to Torako.

"What?" Torako asked as she pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket.

"You're gonna be an auntie!! I'm pregnant!" Tomo declared, displaying a big wildcat grin at the end.

Torako stopped. She looked shocked from Tomo…to her cigarettes…back to Tomo…

_I'm gonna need more cigarettes_, Torako thought.

At this point, Yomi and Koyomiko came walking up.

"Mama!! You cheated!!" Koyomiko yelled.

"Mama?!" Torako said before lighting up. "You mean you're a mother already?!"

"Well, it's a bit of a long story…" Tomo said. "…but…yeah, I guess I would be!! Which means you're an auntie already!"

"Damn it, Tomo" Torako said, in an almost indifferent tone. "At least give me a chance to go buy more cigarettes."

"Hey!!" Koyomiko said, pointing a finger at Torako. "Smoking is bad!! My Funari had athsma problems from those cigarettes!!"

"I think you mean 'asthma'" Torako said, as she lit up the cigarette.

Instantly, Yomi grabbed the cigarette out of Torako's mouth, slammed it down on the ground, and stomped on it.

Torako's shocked expression went to Yomi's foot, then to Yomi's face.

"You will NOT smoke around a pregnant Tomo, or my daughter. Got it?" Yomi said, with a voice that commanded respect.

"G-got it" Torako responded.

Yomi turned around, and grabbed hold of Koyomiko's hand. "C'mon, let's go inside and meet your grandparents."

"Kay, Kaa-san!!" Koyomiko replied happily, as she and Yomi walked in.

"See ya later, Torako Onee-chan!" Tomo said, before walking in with Yomi and Koyomiko.

Torako pulled back out her pack, pulled out a new cigarette, and put it to her lips.

She was about to light up, when she suddenly stopped.

_Wait, I thought Tomo said that little girl was HER daughter!!_

…

Yomi knocked on the door.

"Come in!!" was heard from behind the door.

Tomo, Yomi, and Koyomiko entered. Sitting on the couch was Tomo's father, and Tomo's mother came walking in from the kitchen.

From what Yomi remembered, the father's name was Ryuu, and the mother's name was Hina. Ryuu was a skinny man of about 165 cm (or about 5'5), with short, black hair and brown eyes. Hina was also skinny, stood about 152 cm (or about 5') with short brown hair, and brown eyes.

"Ah, Tomo, so good to see you again!!" Ryuu said, full of as much energy as his daughter. He bent forward. "C'mere and give your father a big pat on the back!!"

"Sure thing, Dad!!" Tomo went over and gave her father a few hearty pats on the back.

"Ah, that's good!! It's been forever since anyone has been able to pat me like you do, Tomo!" Ryuu responded.

"And believe me, I've tried!" Hina responded, easily having as much energy as the other two.

All three of them laughed. Yomi and Koyomiko just stood by the door, just watching. Yomi, enjoying the reunion of Tomo and her parents; Koyomiko, listening to the conversation that the adults were having.

"So, why'd you decide to come over today, after not seeing us for so long?" Ryuu asked, once Tomo stopped patting his back.

"Well…" Yomi said, finally adding to the conversation. "…Tomo has something to say."

"Well…the thing is…" Tomo took a deep breath, and began. "YomiandIwentovertoamericaandkoyomikoshowedupatourdoorandsaidshewasourchildcreatedthroughgeneticfusion"

"Sowhatyoursayingisthatthelittlegirlwithyomiisyourdaughter?" Hina asked.

"andthatyomiisalsothemotherofthechild?" Ryuu asked.

"Would you people flipping slow down?!" Yomi yelled. "God, it's so hard to keep up when you're talking at a million miles an hour!!"

"Butyomithisishowmyfamilyusuallytalks!!" Tomo said, displaying a big wildcat grin.

Hina and Ryuu both flinched hard, as Yomi left-handed uppercut Tomo, knocking her to the ground.

While Koyomiko stared at the dizzy-eyed Tomo, Yomi took a deep breath to calm her nerves, then continued.

"Ok, so this is our daughter, Koyomiko. She showed up at our doorstep in America, and told us that Tomo and I were her mothers." Yomi said.

"We already knew that from Tomo's little speech." Ryuu said with a grin.

"C'mon, Yomi-san, keep up." Hina said, causing both her and her husband to laugh.

Yomi laughed nervously. "But, the thing is…Tomo is pregnant."

"Oh, that's wonderful!! Who's the father?" Hina asked.

"Um…there is no father. I'm the second mother." Yomi replied.

This caused both Ryuu and Hina to go totally quiet, and even gain a bit of a serious look on their faces.

"You see…Tomo had a rather…bad experience with a boyfriend." Yomi said. "And…I never had one, but…Tomo and I…we've…found love with each other."

At this point, Tomo stood up, a sullen look on her face. Also, Torako came walking in.

"Hey, Tomo, didn't you say that she was your girl?" Torako asked, pointing to Koyomiko.

"Yeah, she's mine…and Yomi's." Tomo responded in a glum tone.

"So…how was she born?" Torako asked.

"Genetic Fusion." Tomo asked. "She was born in a test tube, so she has no belly button."

"Oh…" Torako responded. "So…is that it?"

"Well, no." Tomo responded. "You see…I'm pregnant with another child of mine and Yomi's, this one done with DNA from the other."

Torako looked at her younger sister, then looked at her parents. Her parents seemed deep in thought.

"And…you both love each other?" Torako asked.

"Yes, we do." Tomo said, though this time seemed to be a bit more serious than glum.

"Well, then…" Hina said, a small but serious smile forming on her face. "I guess there really isn't much we can do about that, is there?"

"Huh?" Both Tomo and Yomi said at the same time.

Ryuu's mouth formed a small smile as well. He knew where is wife was headed. "Tomo, if you truly love Yomi, there's nothing we can do. You live on your own, you're free to make your own choices."

"And besides…" Hina added. "If you two are still able to make grandkids, then really, that's all the better. Besides, having two women take care of a child is much better than a man and a woman."

"And what the hell's that supposed to mean?" Ryuu asked.

"Watch your language around the child!" Yomi and Hina said at the same time.

"Oh, lighten up!" Tomo and Ryuu said in unison.

This caused all for to suddenly freeze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Kaa-san, what's so funny?" Koyomiko asked.

"Nothing…" Yomi said, wiping the tears out of her eyes.

The four adults, re-gathering the composition, returned to their original subject of talk.

"But like we were saying, Tomo…" Ryuu said. "…as long as you're happy, we'll gladly accept any of the choices you make in life."

"Just make sure our grandkids get to see us every once in a while, ok?" Hina added.

"S-sure thing…" Tomo said, tears of happiness coming to her eyes. She never knew her parents would have been so accepting of her life choices like this.

At this point, Hina kneeled down, and made eye contact with Koyomiko. "Hi, there. I'm your grandma. This is your grandfather." She pointed to Ryuu as she said it.

"Hi." Koyomiko said. "I'm Koyomiko."

"Well? Come give us a hug!" Hina said, opening up her arms.

Koyomiko walked over to Hina, and gave her a very nice hug. Koyomiko then turned to Ryuu, got up on his lap, and gave him a hug as well.

"Now, be a good girl for your moms, take care of your sister when she's born, and try to visit us every once in a while, ok?" Hina asked when Koyomiko was done hugging.

"Kay!" Koyomiko responded, giving Hina a big smile.

"You sure are cute!" Ryuu replied, rubbing Koyomiko's head.

"C'mon, Koyomiko, we gotta go visit your Obaasan." Yomi said.

"But…isn't she my Obaasan?" Koyomiko asked, pointing to Hina.

"No, the other Obaasan. From your Kaa-san's side." Tomo said with a slight laugh.

"Oh…" Koyomiko said. She hopped down from Ryuu's lap, and walked over to Tomo.

"Well, nice seeing you again!" Yomi said, as the three of them turned to leave.

"Goodbye, be sure to visit us again soon!" Hina said, as she and Ryuu waved goodbye.

Yomi and Koyomiko left. As Tomo was about to leave, she stopped and turned to Torako, giving her a big wildcat smile in the process.

"See ya 'round, Torako Onee-chan!" Tomo said before leaving.

"I swear…I was adopted." Torako mumbled.

"Probably. That or Genetic Fusion." Hina said, causing both her and Ryuu to start laughing again.

"Hey…" Ryuu said, standing up. "Maybe we should check her for a belly button."

"Good idea." Hina said with a big evil grin, the two of them slowly approaching Torako.

"No…no…stay back!!" Torako yelled, backing up against the wall, fear in her eyes.

…

Yomi knocked on the door to her mother's house.

"Come in!!"

Yomi opened the door, and walked in with Tomo and Koyomiko.

"Obaasan!!" Koyomiko called out, walking into the house after removing her shoes.

"Hello, Koyomiko-chan!" Mrs. Mizuhara said as she walked into the room. "How's my granddaughter?"

"Good!" Koyomiko said happily. "I got to meet my other Obaasan!"

"Oh, you did now, did you?" Mrs. Mizuhara said with a laugh.

Mrs. Mizuhara stood at about 163 cm (or about 5'4") with short brown hair that was slightly darker than Yomi's. She had a very kind face, which could make anyone feel welcome in her home.

Now, one thing to be mentioned here, the reason Mrs. Mizuhara already knew Koyomiko is because she was the one who took care of Koyomiko until Koyomiko went off to school. Tomo and Yomi had explained that Koyomiko was a result of genetic fusion, and that's why she was their child.

Although, Tomo and Yomi hadn't quite told her yet that the two of them were in love…

"Well, you look rather hungry" Mrs. Mizuhara said. "How about your Kaa-san fixes you up something to eat? A nice sandwich maybe?"

"Kaa-san, could you? Pleeeeeeeeeeease?" Koyomiko whipped around, and gave Yomi the absolute cutest face possible, even putting her hands into the pleading position.

"Ok, but only because you're so darn cute!" Yomi said with a slight laugh.

She walked into the kitchen to begin making a sandwich for Koyomiko. Tomo went and sat down on the couch while Koyomiko sat down at the table.

To explain the Mizuhara household, it was basically like one big room. Coming in from the doorway, to the right was Yomi's old room (which had turned into a guest room), and to the left was Mrs. Mizuhara's room (and Mr. Mizuhara's, when he was present), and a bathroom. Other than that, the kitchen, dining room, and living room were all conjoined.

Yomi navigated her way through the kitchen with ease. Even though it had been over 5 years since she had lived there, she could still remember where everything was in the kitchen.

"So, Tomo-chan, had the day off from your ICPO job? Must be rather busy there…" Mrs. Mizuhara said, trying to strike up conversation.

"Yeah, definitely, especially when my boss feels the need to really pile on the paperwork." Tomo said.

"My Mama's a good police officer!!" Koyomiko declared from the table. At that same moment, Yomi brought in her sandwiches.

"Yes, she is" Yomi said, rubbing Koyomiko's head.

…

Well, conversation would continue on normally until Koyomiko finished her sandwiches. As she finished, she let out a huge yawn.

"Oh, my" Mrs. Mizuhara said. "It would seem like someone needs a nap."

"Yes, she does." Yomi said, lifting Koyomiko into her arms. "Hey, Mom, where's her room?"

"Your old room, Koyomi." Mrs. Mizuhara replied.

Yomi smiled, and walked into her room.

It hadn't been changed much from when she left. It had been kept 'as is' to give it a more homey feel to it (or so Mrs. Mizuhara explained).

And while Yomi stood there, she ran a bunch of flashbacks through her mind. Tomo coming in through the window to annoy her while she studied…Yukari's crazy classroom antics…

Ah, the good times.

But now she was a mother. How life seemed to fly by so fast…

Yomi pulled the sheets back, set the already-sleeping Koyomiko in the bed, then tucked her in, and kissed her forehead.

Yomi left the room, shutting the door so it remained open only a small crack, then she went and sat down next to Tomo.

It was at this point that Tomo donned a serious look on her face. It was time to tell Mrs. Mizuhara the news…

"Mom…we've…got something to tell you…" Yomi said.

"Let me guess. You two are in love." Mrs. Mizuhara said.

Tomo and Yomi's mouths dropped open. Both of them were totally stunned silent.

"I thought so." Mrs. Mizuhara said, still maintain a smile.

"But…how did you know?" Tomo asked.

"First up, I'm a mother. I know everything." Mrs. Mizuhara responded.

Yomi and Tomo looked at her with the utmost serious faces.

"I'm just kidding! You two should really lighten up." Mrs. Mizuhara responded with a light laugh.

"So…how did you know?" Yomi asked.

"Koyomi, a child can change many things between people. It can strengthen a relationship far beyond what anything two people could do. And the way you two care for that child shows not only a love for her, but a love for each other." Mrs. Mizuhara explained. "I knew within the first few days of you two bringing her here. I just waited for you two to come to me to admit it."

"So…you knew all along?" Tomo asked.

"Absolutely." Mrs. Mizuhara replied.

"Oh…well…guess that makes this a lot easier then…" Yomi said.

"Oh, Mrs. Mizuhara, I'm pregnant with another child." Tomo said suddenly.

"Oh, trying to pull the wool over my eyes, eh?" Mrs. Mizuhara said, winking at Tomo. "You can't fool me that easily yet, Tomo-chan."

"Mrs. Mizuhara, I'm serious. I really am pregnant with another child. And it's got Yomi's DNA in it." Tomo repeated, in all dead seriousness.

"Oh…oh, my…" Now Mrs. Mizuhara seemed to see that Tomo wasn't pulling anything. She was dead serious. "Another one?"

"A sister…for Koyomiko." Tomo said.

"Oh…wow…two kids…and…one can…be born naturally…" Mrs. Mizuhara seemed a bit stunned.

"Mom, you ok?" Yomi asked.

"Oh, I'm fine. It's just…they were never able to do that back in my day…if they could have…maybe my American friend Jill and I…"

"Mom!!" Yomi yelled.

"I'm just teasing you, Koyomi." Mrs. Mizuhara said. Both she and Tomo burst out laughing while Yomi's face turned red.

"Well, I'm glad that the two of you have decided this for Koyomiko, and I hope that things go well for you." Mrs. Mizuhara said, a smile returning to her face.

"Thanks, Mom." Yomi said, a smile on her face.

Mother and daughter stood up, and hugged.

"Now make sure to visit me more often! I need some company around here, since your father is never here!" Mrs. Mizuhara said.

"Ok, we will…" Yomi said.

…

After Koyomiko woke up, the three of them left the Mizuhara residence.

…

Author's notes: Special thanks to Funari for letting me use Mrs. Mizuhara, who is her OC, found in 'Flutter'

But for the next chapter, we head back to America, for the final two days of staying in America with Pan

Next Chapter: The Corporations Doings, and the Last Goodbye


	112. The Corporations doing, the last goodbye

The Corporations doings and the Last Goodbye

…

Friday, May 22nd

…

The week had gone by rather smoothly. Pan was sleeping the whole night, and they had come to know far more about the Wada-Matsuda household.

But Pan was becoming more and more worried, and both Kagura and Osaka could sense it. It was reaching the end of the week, and Pan still hadn't received word from her mother, like in her dream.

Was there a possibility that, if she went back to Japan, that those dreams about her mother would come back?

Pan would break down crying at this thought.

…

That night

…

Osaka and Pan were in their separate guest room, ready to go to bed. Osaka held on to Pan for a while for a very long hug.

Once the hugging was over, Osaka got a warm smile on her face.

"Pan, would you like to tell me about your parents? I would like to hear about them."

Pan remained silent.

"Pan?"

"N-not now, Ayu-mama…" Pan replied. "I-I'm really tired…"

"Ok then, let me just go brush my teeth, and we'll go to bed." Osaka let go of Pan, got up, and left the room.

As soon as Osaka left the room, Pan went to her own bag, and pulled out the teddy bear that Koyomiko had gotten for her.

Pan hugged it tightly.

_Mom…you said you wanted me and my parents back here…where are you?_ She thought.

…

Pan would have a dream that night, but this time, her dream would be different…

…

"Pan…"

"M-mom?"

"Pan, come back to us…"

"Mom, I'm here!! What do you want?"

"Pan" This was her father's voice. "Come back to the house"

…

Pan snapped awake. She found that she was all alone in bed, but she had seen her Ayu-mama go to bed with her…

Pan got out of bed, walked over, and opened the door.

But what was absolutely creepy was the fact that Kagura's door opened at the EXACT same time, revealing both Kagura and Koharu to still be in their PJ's.

The three of them remained silent, while the sound of a toilet flushing came from the bathroom. The door opened to reveal Osaka, her still in her PJ's as well.

"Hey, Pan…" Koharu asked, deciding now would be the best time to ask. "Did you possibly have a dream where someone said to 'go back to the house'?"

"Y-yes…I did." Pan replied.

"So did I…" Osaka said. "That's weird."

"Well, I guess we go back to the house then." Kagura said.

Osaka, Pan, and Koharu all nodded. To have something of the same dream all together, it had to have meant something. It just HAD to.

…

Osaka, Kagura, Pan, and Koharu all left, leaving the door unlocked in case they needed to get back in the house.

The four of them came to a stop outside the van.

"Do ya know how to drive?" Osaka asked Kagura.

"Uh…hehe…no, I don't." Kagura replied. She then sighed. "Guess we gotta walk."

So the four of them began walking the few miles it would take to reach Pan's old house…

All because of a dream…

…

Pan, Koharu, Osaka, and Kagura were all walking towards the house that Pan had visited earlier in the day.

"Pan, I have to ask you…" Osaka suddenly said. "…when you were having problems sleeping, was it because you were dreaming of your parents?"

Pan looked shocked. "How did you know?!"

"I didn't. The thought just came to me." Osaka said, looking upwards at the stars.

Pan looked downwards. "I…I continued to…dream about them…they kept telling me to…come back to the house…the house that they were killed in…"

"Pan, I want you to know that you can always trust us with anything that you want to tell us." Kagura said. "And…with us being your parents, I want you to know that you can always trust us, with anything."

"O-ok, Natsuko-mama." Pan said.

"Right, Osaka?" Kagura asked.

"Absolutely." Osaka replied, keeping her gaze on the stars.

"You know, I'm surprised, Osaka. You never really paid attention in class, and were always spacin' out, yet now, you always listen whenever your kids are talking…" Kagura commented.

"I'm an adult now." Osaka responded, her head moving downwards from the stars. "Though I often still tend ta think 'bout stuff, I…guess the kids really bring me inta focus."

"Oh…" Kagura replied. It really was interesting how having kids could suddenly change you…

"And ya know somethin' else?" Osaka said. "The moon's red tonight."

Kagura looked up to confirm what Osaka had said. It was red…almost like a blood red…

"Hey…" Koharu said. "We're here."

Osaka, Kagura, Pan, and Koharu now stood outside the house again.

Somehow, though, this time, it seemed…creepier. With it being dark, and someone being murdered in it…

All four of them, swallowing hard, slowly walked towards the house again…

Crossing that yellow tape, the four of them walked towards the house.

As the reached the doorway, red and blue lights suddenly started flashing.

"Freeze!!" The officer yelled out in English, pulling out a gun. "Hands where I can see them!!"

Koharu and Pan raised both their hands into the air.

"Osaka-sempai! Natsuko-mama!! Hands up!!" Koharu hissed at them.

The officer, while keeping his gun on the four, reached for his radio for backup.

Then, as suddenly as his lights had come on, he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Pan, Koharu, Osaka, and Kagura all remained stunned and quiet, however, but now more in fear.

Standing right where the cop's back had been…was a samurai.

"I-It's her!!" Pan whispered.

Her. Yukishiro.

But the red and blue lights, continuing to go, never cast a shadow on Yukishiro, which made a drop of sweat run down Osaka's face in terror.

"Sh-she's…a…a ghost…" Osaka managed to get out.

Yukishiro raised her hand toward the police car, and shut off the flashing lights.

Once the group's eyes had re-adjusted, they could see Yukishiro again, but this time, she was surrounded by thousands of other spirits.

These spirits all looked to vary in age, ranging from, Kagura guessed, anywhere from less than a year all the way to 17 years of age. Some of them looked like many of her friends many times over. Other's looked like crossings of her friends.

The group's hands dropped to their sides now, the tiredness of their arms forcing them to.

Then, all of the spirits, all at once, raised their shirts just far enough upwards to show what none of the group will ever forget…

None of the spirits had belly buttons.

"My god…" Kagura whispered.

"All of them…" Koharu whispered. "All of them…were…"

"Killed…by the corporation…" Osaka finished.

A light from behind caught Pan's attention. She turned her whole body around to find two floating balls of light.

At that point, the spirits put their hands into a prayer-like position, bowing their heads slightly.

And they began to sing…

_akai tsuki akai tsuki_

_tsumi o okashita monodomo no_

_kegare o kiyomeru akai tsuki_

Pan's eyes went wide. Water began falling down her face, as the balls of light began to take form…

The group entered the house, Pan moving forward closer to the forming spirits… The room was filled with a warm feeling…

_akai tsuki akai tsuki_

_tsumi o okashita monodomo no_

_kegare o kiyomeru akai tsuki_

_koyoi wa dare ga umarekawaru_

_koyoi wa dare ga umarekawaru_

Everyone now saw, as if they were alive before them, Pan's parents.

"Pan…" The mother replied.

Pan ran straight up to the spirit of her mother, grabbing onto the leg. The bodies seemed solid, though the parents still showed a bit of a ghostly essence.

Pan's mother bent down, hugging her. "We're so glad you came…"

Pan let go of the mother, and went over and tightly hugged the father. Tears were streaming down Pan's face, as she tightly embraced the spirits of her dead parents.

"I'm sorry things had to turn out like this, Pan." The father said. "We want you to know…we will always be proud of you. Keep us in your heart…always."

"We love you, Pan." The mother said.

"W-wait…you're going?!" Pan asked.

"I'm afraid we must." Pan's mother said. "We only came here to tell you goodbye."

Pan let go of the father, and went back to tightly hug the mother again.

Pan's father slowly walked over to the other three, who just stood there, all three of them trying to hold back tears.

"We both know that you two will never be more than friends…" he began. "So, we ask of this…we want you two to plan Pan's birthday party ahead. Then, when her birthday does come, we want you two to spend it together with her. Just her, you, and her sister."

Kagura and Osaka nodded, wiping away the tears that fell down their faces.

Pan's father then looked to Koharu. "Always be strong for her. Protect her, like you have been doing so well."

"Promise!" Koharu said, bowing. Once straightening back out, she wiped her face of tears too.

Pan's father walked back to where he had been standing, and turned around.

"It's time for us to go…" Pan's mother said, letting go of Pan. "Keep us in your heart, always…"

The two of them began floating upwards.

"We love you, Pan…" They said before floating through the roof.

"W-wait!!" Pan ran out of the house, and looked upwards. She saw her parents float through the house, and towards the red moon.

"We love you…Pan…"

The other spirits all began floating towards the red moon themselves, one by one, until only Yukishiro was left.

"I'm…sorry…" she said, before floating off herself.

Then the four that had originally came to the spot now stood alone once again.

Pan fell to her knees, and began crying.

Kagura walked over and picked her up, holding her tightly against her body.

So Kagura, Osaka, and Koharu would walk home.

Pan would remain in Kagura's arms, crying the entire way home.

…

The police officer that was knocked out would awaken later, unable to remember anything that had happened the previous night.

…

Author's notes: God…that was sad…give me a minute…

(_takes a minute to compose himself_)

Ok, now, the name of the song is "Red Moon". It's sung when the prinnies in Disgaea pass on to the next life.

The translation is:

Red moon, red moon...

Cleanses the sinful and makes them anew...

Shining brightly in the night sky,

waiting for the souls...

Who will be born again tonight?

Who will be born again tonight?

It really is a sad song, and perfect for the scene involving Pan and her parents' last goodbye.

Next Chapter: Only in Eating Out can you find love


	113. Only in Eating Out can you find Love

Only in Eating Out Can You find Love

…

Kagura would be the first to awaken that afternoon.

She sat up, and looked around.

Koharu lay right next to her, then Pan, then Osaka. The four of them, unable to sleep apart, had grabbed blankets and pillows, and instead had slept on the floor together.

But for some odd reason, once they actually got together, sleep had then come rather easily.

Kagura stood up, and stretched out. She looked at a clock nearby, and realized that it was already past noon.

Kagura decided it would be for the best, and woke everyone up.

Koharu woke up, and had to hug Kagura almost instantly. Though Koharu hadn't had any nightmares, the sadness of what she had witnessed the previous night had just hit something deep inside of her.

Kagura then woke up Osaka. She was possibly the easiest to wake up, seeing as how, once she woke up the slightest bit, she had to run to the bathroom to throw up.

Then Kagura finally woke up Pan. Pan woke up, and got up very slowly.

"Pan, you want to talk about it?" Kagura asked.

Pan wiped away a tear from both eyes, then shook her head.

Koharu put one hand on Pan's shoulder. When Pan looked at Koharu, no words were spoken, but just Koharu's actions said 'I'll be there for you'.

Osaka finally exited the bathroom from throwing up, and headed towards the kitchen. She spotted a note.

"Well, looks like Joseph and his family are out for the day…" Osaka said. "And they said that if we're hungry, there's a restaurant not far up the road we can go to…"

"Well, I'm hungry, so let's go." Koharu said, her usual punch of energy missing.

Kagura sighed. She knew it would be a while before the Koharu she knew would return.

…

So now the four of them stood there…

Outside the restaurant that Joseph mentioned…

Pan and Koharu both giving a 'What the hell?' look.

"You…have GOT…to be kidding me." Koharu said.

The four of them stood outside a restaurant known as the 'Krusty Krab'.

"So…what's the big deal?" Kagura asked.

"This restaurant is named after a cartoon that is well-known here…" Koharu said.

"So, why would they name a restaurant after something in a cartoon?" Osaka asked.

"For the money. It's what America runs on" Koharu responded.

"So, um…are we gonna go in?" Pan asked.

All four stomachs let off a growl, indicating 'yes'.

The four of them walked in, and up to the register, where they immediately spotted…a Squidward cosplayer.

(Begin English)

"Um...wow…must be aweful in that thing." Koharu commented.

The guy took off the mask for a moment. "Are you kidding?! This is awesome!! I can be cranky to people all day, and they're all OK with it!!" he said in the happiest tone.

He then put the mask back on.

"So, what would you like?" he asked, in an absolute perfect Squidward tone.

(End English)

…

After ordering, the four of them went to a table, sat down, and began eating.

Koharu would take a bite, and look around. It looked like a genuine Krusty Krab, right out of Spongebob. She just couldn't believe that the cartoon had become so popular they had made a restaurant out of it.

The other three ate in total silence. Kagura and Osaka more focused on their hunger, Pan still thinking about last night.

…

Outside, many amounts of cars pulled up into the parking lot.

The doors opened.

…

Osaka stopped mid-bite into her burger.

"That sounded like car doors…"

She set her burger down, and sniffed the air. Kagura, Pan, and Koharu all had their attention on her.

"Do you smell it?" she said. "A smell…a sort of smelly smell…a sort of smelly smell that smells…smelly."

Osaka gasped. She whispered:

"Cosplayers."

"What?" Kagura asked.

"COSPLAYERS!!" Osaka screamed.

What hit then was a lunchtime rush of some of what I like to call…the 'bad' cosplayers.

The definition of a 'bad' cosplayer is simply this: Someone who cosplays who doesn't shower, or do anything to cover up his or her bad body odor. Some of them even get into these costumes, where the smell is allowed to build up.

Now these hundreds of 'bad' cosplayers were now cramming into the restaurant.

The wave hit the Azu-group's table. The four of them had no idea where the other's went, but now they were packed into the restaurant against these awful smelling people like a can of sardines.

…

Pan could feel herself getting squished in by these people. Not only did it hurt, but now she felt dirty, and disgusting.

She kept being pushed all around. These people continually pushed themselves and others to try to get to the counter.

She felt her arm get slammed between the bodies of two people. She screamed out in pain, but her scream was totally muffled out by the noise that all these people were making.

She fell into a small opening in the legs of these people, and fell to her knees, curling up. She felt frightened…alone…

As the tears welled up in her eyes, she felt these people's feet go past her, some of the even kicking her. The pain she continued to feel on her body was horrible, the smell was nauseating…

Suddenly, someone grabbed her hand.

"Pan, c'mon!!" Koharu yelled, pulling her sister up. "We gotta find the adults!"

Koharu lifted Pan to her feet, then made her way through the crowd, holding on to Pan's hand.

Pan actually watched Koharu's arm get smashed between two people. And yet Koharu never let go.

Finally, the two of them made it to the doorway. Someone pushed them forwards, knocking them through the doorway, and onto the ground.

"Ow…" Koharu said, as she slowly got to her feet. "You ok?"

"Y-yeah…" Pan replied.

Then the doors opened, and two bodies fell right on top of Pan and Koharu.

"OW!" Koharu yelled.

"Koharu? Is that you?" Kagura asked.

"Natsuko-mama! Osaka-sempai!" Koharu said in happiness.

The four of them stood up, brushing themselves off. It was then that all four of them realized something.

"OH GOD!! THE SMELL!!" Kagura gagged.

"It musta rubbed off on us!" Osaka said.

"We need to get back home and take a shower!!" Koharu said.

So the four of them would walk back to Joseph's home, a mile away, smelling awful, and using all of their willpower to hold down their lunches.

…

Joseph, Wada, and Matsuda had returned home with their three kids, and were now unloading the vehicle of groceries.

Joseph noticed the Azu-group coming towards him.

"Oh, hey, guys!!" Joseph called out, waving to 'em. "How was your lunch?"

As they got closer, Joseph could see them all looking rather sick. And as they got even closer, Joseph could smell why they were looking sick.

He immediately covered his mouth and nose with one hand. "Oh my god, you guys! What happened?!"

"There were some really bad smelling people in the restaurant." Kagura explained weakly.

"We…need your shower." Osaka said.

"Ok…um…" Joseph thought about it for a moment. "Why don't the others wait outside for their turn?"

"Fair enough." Kagura said.

"Pan goes first!" Koharu said, pushing Pan forward.

"B-but…Koharu…!" Kagura began to argue.

"PAN GOES FIRST!!" Koharu yelled.

"Ok then." Kagura said, taken back.

So Pan went into the house, and up to the shower. Anyone that just happened to catch the smell would cover their mouths and noses.

Matsuda ran all four clothes bags up to the bathroom, along with a garbage bag, which she explained should contain all the clothes that smelled nasty.

Once Pan was out of the shower, Koharu went next. She scrubbed long and hard to make sure that smell went away.

Then came Kagura, who made sure to do the same.

Then Osaka finally went in. Kagura went into the guest bedroom to find Koharu and Pan, both sulking.

Kagura went over and sat down in the middle of the bed, facing the door. Koharu was on her left, and Pan was also in front of her. Koharu turned her attention to Kagura.

Kagura sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Pan. So far…things that we do with you just…haven't been going well."

Pan turned around to face Kagura. For the first time in a long time, Pan had a small smile on her face.

"It's ok, Natsuko-mama." She said. "My other parents never took me out anywhere. We always ate at home."

A smile came on Kagura's face. A smile also appeared on Koharu's face.

"I…think about them a lot…about the happy times we had together…" Pan continued. She wiped a tear from her face. "And…when I think about them…looking at me as angels…I think they would want me to be happy."

Kagura wiped away a tear, then opened her arms. "C'mere, you two."

Pan and Koharu got into the open arms of Kagura, and Kagura hugged them both, tears slowly falling down her face.

Pan and Koharu pinkie-locked with each other, then returned the hug to Kagura together, while their pinkies remained locked.

And that touching moment remained for a while. The Kagura family, that finally felt close together.

They pulled out of the hug, Kagura wiped her face of any remaining tears, and she stared at her two daughters with pride.

At that moment, Osaka came walking in, her hair still wet from the shower.

"Osaka-sempai, you missed it!" Kagura said.

"Eh?" Osaka asked.

"C'mere and sit down!" Koharu said, patting the bed.

Osaka came and sat down on the bed. Koharu and Pan then proceeded to hug Osaka.

At first, Osaka was a bit taken back (the hugs came rather suddenly), but once she realized what the kids were doing, a smile came on her face, and she returned the hugs.

Once the hugs were done and over with, Osaka looked down at the two kids in front of her with a smile.

At that moment, Joseph came walking in, a serious look on his face.

"Hey, Joseph. We're ready to go!" Kagura said.

"Okay!!" Joseph screamed, pump-fisting into the air.

Joseph turned around, and opened the door.

And standing right in their way, were two guys, one teenage girl, and one shorter girl.

And the two guys looked like they needed to explain something.

…

Author's notes: uuuuu…what's gonna happen next? Go to the next chapter and find out!

Next Chapter: Anticipated Party, and Heading home


	114. Anticipated Party, and Heading Home

Anticipated Party, and Heading Home

…

One guy had black hair, grayish-green eyes, and stood at about 5'5". The other had black hair, with black eyes, and stood at about 6', and had glasses. The teenage girl stood at about 4'9" and she had brown eyes with long orange hair. The smaller girl looked like a very miniature Osaka with longer hair and blue eyes, which creeped Kagura out.

(Begin English)

"Hey, Joseph." The guy with glasses said.

"Who are you?" Joseph asked.

"My name is Jay." The guy said. "And this is Jacob."

"And these two…" Jacob said, referring to the two behind him. "Are Kaede and Moriko."

"Hi." Kaede and Moriko said.

"You were…the one who was…" Jay stopped, and looked behind Joseph. "Wait…hey, Jacob, is that them?" he was looking strangely at Kagura and Osaka.

"I think it is!" Jacob looked at Moriko, then to Osaka. "It is!! Oh my god!"

"But…it's only two of them…" Jay replied.

"Um…did you guys need something?" Joseph asked.

"I'm sorry. May we come in?" Jay asked.

"Um…we were just about to leave…" Joseph said.

"Please, it will only be a minute." Jay said. "We need to talk to you…and to them." Jay pointed to Osaka and Kagura.

(End English)

…

So Kagura, Osaka, Koharu, Pan, Joseph, and Megumi all sat on the couch, while Jay sat in one chair, Kaede sitting on the floor next to him, while Jacob sat in another chair, with Moriko sitting next to him.

"So…Joseph…about Megumi…" Jay began.

"Wait…" Joseph said, "Does this have to do with Megumi being a product of a corporation?"

Jay stopped. "Uh…y-yes…yes it does."

"Then I already know. These four already told me about it." Joseph said, pointing to Kagura, Osaka, Koharu, and Pan.

"And that's why we needed to talk to them." Jay replied. "Kagura-san, Osaka-san, I need you to tell your friends that we'll be holding something special next year."

"What? What will you be holding next year?" Kagura asked.

"It's something of a party." Jay explained. "Seeing as how the corporation is now gone, we're getting all of the kids that survived together."

"And what we wanted to do was also bring the donors together, and let the kids see who made them." Jacob added.

"Wait, wait, hold on here. You mean there are more kids?!" Kagura asked.

"Yes." Jay said. "There were many, many kids created by the corporation. Hundreds. Many of them were killed, but quite a few were saved."

"You're not gonna give these kids to us, are ya?! I mean…no offense to them, but…we're trying to take care of a bunch of kids already…" Kagura said.

"Actually, no." Jay replied. "Many of the kids are happy with the lives they have right now. But they would like to see who made them, maybe even get to spend some time with them if at all possible."

"And this is next year?" Osaka asked.

"Yes, it is." Jacob said.

"Well, we'll have to talk with everyone else first…" Kagura replied.

"Listen," Jay said, standing up, giving her a smile. "Don't worry about it. In fact, we want you to actually forget it for now. We'll send you a personal invitation when we're all ready."

"R-really, now?" Kagura asked.

"Yes. We'll get everything set up, then we'll send you invitations." Jacob said, standing up as well, giving them a smile.

"Yeah! To finally see what this corporation's been doing!" Osaka said. "So…who's kids are those?"

"Well, Megumi, who was dropped off at Joseph's doorstep, is a child of Kaorin and Sakaki." Jay explained. "This is Kaede, a child of Chiyo and Sakaki."

"Hiiiii!!" Kaede said, joy in her voice.

"And this is Moriko." Jacob said.

(English)

"Yo." Moriko said.

"Wha's happenin', homey?" Osaka asked.

"I be trippin'" Moriko replied back.

"Word." Osaka said

"Oh, would you two stop already?!" Jacob yelled.

(End English)

"Well, anyway, we'll be in touch, but we hope that you guys will be willing to come." Jay replied.

"Well, see you guys later!" Jacob said, as he and Jay began to leave.

"See ya later!" Joseph yelled, waving. "'Till next time!"

"Byyyyye!!" Kaede said, waving frantically. "We'll see you next year!"

"Bye!" Moriko said, as she and Kaede followed behind Jay.

"Well, that would be nice. A chance for Megumi to meet her blood donors." Joseph said.

"Y-yeah…" Megumi replied. "I'd be excited to meet them!"

"Well, I suppose, we'll end up missing your flight if we don't leave now!" Joseph said to Kagura and Osaka.

And so, Joseph would drive them down to the airport, wish them farewell, and for the best.

…

On the plane-ride home, Kagura began to think.

Think about how her life had come so far, how she had gone through so many ups and downs…

She began to think how much she missed Kaorin…

But she also thought about something that hadn't really been settled in high school…

…

Due to timezones, we arrive in Japan in the morning…

…

Kagura, Osaka, Koharu, and Pan all get off of the plane.

They walked out into the main lobby.

Kagura has Koharu up on her shoulders.

"You see 'em anywhere?" Kagura asked.

Koharu is looking all throughout the lobby when she spots the two people she's looking for on the far side of the lobby.

"There they are!!" Koharu yells, pointing in the direction of Kaorin and Arata.

So, the four of the Kagura and Kasuga group headed over in the direction Koharu was pointing. When they came within a few steps of Kaorin and Arata, Kagura let Koharu down, and Koharu and Pan ran over to give their other parents a hug.

"So, Koharu, was your Natsuko-mama good?" Kaorin asked.

"Uh-huh! She was really good!" Koharu said.

"Well, that's good." Kaorin replied.

As Kagura came walking up with a smile to Kaorin, their eyes met. Romance flitted through the air, Kagura wrapped her arms around Kaorin's neck, and their lips met for one of the most passionate kisses they had ever experienced.

"EWWWWWW!! GROSS!!' Koharu yelled.

Pan got a slight blush.

Osaka and Arata just looked on.

Kagura pulled back, while Kaorin had a blush on her face.

"I missed you." Kagura whispered.

"I-it shows…" Kaorin managed to get back.

Kagura then lifted Kaorin so now she was being carried.

Kaorin's blush became even bigger. "N-Natsuko…"

"C'mon, my love, let's head home." Kagura said.

The two lips met again, and Kagura began walking, carrying Kaorin home.

And Kaorin felt like royalty. Her blush was deep, and her eyes had a love-struck look to them.

Koharu followed them, but from a safe distance so she didn't have to watch her parents make out.

"Um…Ayu-mama, is it ok if I go with them?" Pan asked.

"Well, Kagura-chan said she wanted you and me to meet at the park later, so you can go with her then." Osaka replied.

"O-ok" Pan said.

"Well, shall we head home, then?" Arata asked.

"Yes, let's." Osaka said with a smile.

…

Tomo would receive a call on her cell phone.

"Hello?" Tomo asked.

"Hey, Tomo, it's me." Kagura said. "Listen, could you meet me out at the park? And…bring Koyomiko with you?"

"Sure I could!" Tomo said with her usual energy. "I'll be out there shortly!"

…

Author's notes: Sorry if I jumped around a lot in this chapter.

But basically, there are more surviving Azu-kids! Jay and Jacob are going to talk to the caretakers about getting a possible party going with all of those that survived, then inviting the donors (aka the girls) back over to America to meet them all next year.

But what does Kagura want with Tomo and Osaka?

Next Chapter: The Final Bonkuras meeting


	115. Creation of the NeoBonkuraazu, end saga

Creation of the Neo-Bonkuraazu, the Final Chapter in the Azu-child saga

…

Tomo and Koyomiko would walk into the park to find Kagura and Osaka sitting up against a tree, with Pan and Koharu next to them.

Tomo and Koyomiko would walk up and sit down next to them.

"So, wassup, Kagura?" Tomo asked.

Kagura breathed in heavily. "You know how the Bonkuras technically de-grouped?"

"Yeah, why?" Tomo asked.

"Because…I think this is going to be our last Bonkuras meeting."

"What?!" Tomo yelled.

"Face it, Tomo! High school's over! We're adults, we're moving into the real world!" Kagura snapped back. "I'm already a parent of two, and both you and Osaka are going to be there soon!"

"So?" Tomo asked.

"So…that means we need to grow up…to finally move on." Kagura replied.

"What is….Bonkuras, anyway?" Koyomiko asked.

"It's a team that me, Osaka-bachan, and Kagura-san formed long ago in high school to show your Kaa-san who was smarter!" Tomo said.

"And it was Kaa-san, wasn't it?" Koyomiko asked with a big smile.

Kagura and Osaka laughed as Tomo looked utterly stunned at Koyomiko.

"You know me and your Kaa-san all too well, kid." Tomo replied after a moment.

"Yup!" Koyomiko replied with a big smile.

"So…what happened to the 'Bonkuras' Team?" Koharu asked.

"We disbanded." Kagura replied.

"Oh." Koharu replied.

Then everyone heard a small snore come from Pan.

"Heh…she's got some a' me in 'er" Osaka said sleeply.

"Well, we can't let that die out!! We can create a new team Bonkuras!" Koyomiko said determinedly.

"'fraid not, Koyomiko. You can't create the same team." Tomo said.

"Well then, we'll come with a new name." Koyomiko said.

She closed her eyes tightly and began to think.

"Um…is she gonna be ok?" Koharu asked.

"I got it!! The Neo-Bonkuraazu!!" Koyomiko exclaimed.

"That's my girl! Full of brilliance!" Tomo exclaimed, which caused Kagura to sweat-drop.

"And Koharu and Pan can be a part of it!" Koyomiko exclaimed.

"Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah!!" Koharu suddenly said. "I can't be part of the team! I gotta think about swim teams first!"

And instantly, Koyomiko's eyes watered up.

"B-b-b-but…if you don't join…th-then…we won't be a team…"

For some strange reason, whenever a child begins to cry, the mother of some other child will almost always side with the crying one, even if it means putting their child into some sort of pain.

"Now, Koharu, I'm sure that you can join her team for a while, at least until you can find a replacement."

"But Natsuko-mama…!"

"No but's!" Kagura said.

Koharu sighed heavily. "Fine."

Koyomiko jumped and stood straight upright. "YAY!! Thank you, Koharu-chan!!"

Koyomiko grabbed Tomo's hand. "C'mon, we gotta go tell Kaa-san!!"

"Alright, Koyomiko, let's go!!" Tomo said with as much energy as her daughter. "See you guys later!"

Koharu sighed deeply. "I guess we'd better go, too, Natsuko-mama. School will be starting for me again."

"Alright, Koharu. We'll see you later, Osaka-san." Kagura said, as she and Koharu left.

Osaka stared off into the sky, a smile on her face. She knew that Pan had wanted to go with them, but Pan was sleeping peacefully on Osaka's arm.

Kagura had made a very good point. Their lives were finally going to come full circle.

Osaka looked down, and put her hand on her stomach.

To become a mother of two…Osaka was one who was looking forward to it.

"Yeah…full circle." Osaka said to absolutely no one.

…

Monday, May 26th (three weeks of suspension time)

…

Koharu walked with Pan back to school, for the first time in three weeks.

Koharu sighed happily. "Man, it feels so good to be going back to school!"

"Um…you were kind of late, did something happen?" Pan asked.

"Yeah…" Koharu said, as she thought.

…

Flashback to that morning

…

"Now, Koharu…" Kaorin said. "I know that you may hate that Nakamura girl, but I want you to promise me that you will not fight her anymore."

"But…"

"No but's, Koharu," Kaorin said, both seriousness and caring in her voice. "I cannot bare to see my little girl be expelled. Please, promise me. You will not fight anymore."

A moment's pause from Koharu, before she took a deep heavy breath.

"Ok, Kaori-kaa-san" Koharu responded.

Kaorin gave Koharu a smile before pulling her in for a hug.

…

"…Kaori-kaa-san asked me not to fight with that girl again" Koharu said.

And at that precise moment, Koharu and Pan walked onto the school grounds, straight into the eyesight of Sachiko Nakamura.

Koharu and Sachiko did a stare down. The entire school ground went quiet, save for a nearby teacher.

"You guys better be ready. Those two suspended kids came back." She said into her walkie-talkie.

Koharu and Sachiko stared into each other's eyes, both sets full of anger, hatred, an absolute need to kill the other.

Had anyone stuck anything within the glare range of these two, it would have literally exploded.

Time seemed to stand utterly still as the two stared each other down with death in their eyes.

Then, almost as easily as it had started, Koharu just walked past Sachiko.

And Sachiko remained silent, for her mother had had something of the same talk that Koharu had gotten from Kaorin, though Sachiko's mother had been a bit more…stern.

Once Koharu was in the school, everyone let out a sigh of relief.

Sachiko turned around and grumpily looked at the school.

Things were going to be much harder from here on out.

Pan just sighed.

Though she did feel much better since she was last in school. She finally caught up on all that sleep she missed out on.

She looked up into the slightly cloudly sky with a smile. Her parent's faces took form in two of the clouds.

She was going to try as hard as she could not to cry anymore. Her parents would want her to be happy with the life she was living, and she was going to make sure she always was that way.

…

And Spoiler theatre for the next saga:

"So, yeah, Chiyo's beach house was blown up…" Shaun said to Shinobu over the phone. "and now we have nowhere to go for the summer."

"Ah! I may have just the thing!" Shinobu replied. "What if you came over to OUR beach house?"

"Your beach house?" Shaun asked.

"Yes! I'd have to clear it up with the landlord, but you could come over to our beach house instead!" Shinobu replied.

"That'd be great!! It's the one right next to the tea-house I came into with Chiyo, right?"

"That's the one!" Shinobu said.

"Awesome!! I'll go tell Chiyo, and call you back, and let you know!!" Shaun replied. "Thanks again, Shinobu!!"

Shaun hung up the phone. He felt so excited. He could get everyone together this summer to still go to a beach house, despite Chiyo's being blown up.

…

Meanwhile, Osaka was inside her class, teaching.

"And so, from this, we can say that maybe someone really did give a damn." Osaka said. "And as a sudden thought, it's been 2 months since I got pregnant. 4 months pregnant would put me at about summer time. Yeah, summer…"

Then the bell rang.

"Well, please read the next chapter in 'Gone with the Wind' for next class. Have a nice time everyone!" Osaka finished her class.

…

Author's notes: Sorry this took so long to produce, Brawl came out, and I got rather…distracted.

Anywho, so now Pan has said goodbye to her adoptive parents, and has caught up on her sleep. Which makes me glad, because I hate writing all that sadness for poor Pan.

Moving on, the next saga has the Azu-group headed out to the Hina Beach House for a short time, then heading into 4 months pregnancy, where we get to find out the gender of Osaka's and Sakaki's children, seeing as how those two were impregnated naturally! (Along with a few second trimester side effects…hehe…)

Oh, and that 'Gone with the Wind' thing was reference to a picture made by my good friend, Anime Rebirth. XD

Hope to see you all read the next saga!!

-Jamesbondkid will return in the "Beach Saga"


	116. Intimicy shpes and szs, begin Beach saga

Intimacy of All Styles and Sizes, begin Beach Saga

…

Middle of June

…

Yomi would wake up in her bed, to find that one person seemed to be missing.

Yomi sat up in bed, and looked around.

It was obvious that Tomo had gotten up, by the looks of it. Clothes were strewn around the room like Tomo had to quickly find her work clothes.

But Yomi remembered that Tomo had the day off today…

Yomi got out of bed, and went around the house (still in her pajamas). Koyomiko was still sleeping, thank god. Yomi could imagine what sort of fuss she'd throw if she found out her Mama was missing.

Yomi, after thoroughly searching the house, could not find eye or ear of Tomo.

She concluded that Tomo had gone somewhere. But where would Tomo Takino go on her day off?

Yomi's cell phone upstairs went off. She quickly (and quietly) ran up the stairs, and grabbed the cell phone out of her jeans pocket.

"Hello?"

"Yomi…Could you…come outside please?" It was Tomo, and she sounded excited.

"Um…ok, I'll be out in a minute…" Yomi replied.

She quickly got dressed, headed down the stairs, and out the doorway. And there, standing right in the front lawn, was Tomo, with one of the biggest, happiest smiles Yomi had ever seen on her.

Yomi closed the door. "So Tomo, what did you need?"

"Yomi…I've…I've…

"You've what?" Yomi asked.

Then Tomo put both of her fists up in the air, and screamed as loud as she possibly could:

"I'VE GOT BOOBS!!"

A moment of one of the most awkward silences ever followed, then Yomi's face turned red.

Tomo then had tears rivering down her face.

"Yomi…look…I've got boobs…"

"And you had to inform all of Japan about it?!" Yomi yelled.

"Hell yeah!!" Tomo cried happily, the tears flying from her face. "Everyone must know!!"

"Not before breakfast!!" Yomi yelled, grabbing Tomo's arm, and pulling her inside their house.

"Um…Yomi?" Tomo said once she was inside.

"Yes, Tomo?"

"I've got boobs." Tomo said with a wildcat grin.

"And you know what that means, right?" Yomi replied, turning around, wearing only a slight smirk.

Tomo suddenly felt a little bit of a shiver run up and down her spine. Yomi just might…

"N-no…" Tomo replied, taking one step back.

"We're going to need to go bra shopping. The one's you have probably won't hold that cleavage." Yomi said.

Tomo stood for a moment, before declaring:

"My god, you're right!!" Tomo said. "We need to go shopping!!"

"Shopping?!"

Tomo turned around to see one very-eccentric Koyomiko that had just gotten up.

"Yes, shopping. After breakfast." Yomi replied with a smile. That happy face Koyomiko was giving could brighten up any bad day.

"Yay!!" Koyomiko replied, now filled with energy for the day's activities.

So, as promised, after breakfast, the Takino-Mizuhara family headed out to the store.

…

Meanwhile

…

Pan woke up that morning, sat up, and stretched out. She always woke up with a smile, because she was sleeping a good eight hours a night.

She looked around, and noticed the lack of sister. This meant that she was at her Ayu-mama's house.

She got up, got dressed, and looked at herself in the mirror. She put a headband on to keep her hair out of her face.

"Ah, Pan, so glad you're up!" Osaka said as she peeked into the room. "We got some shopping to do this morning, so come down to breakfast."

After breakfast, Osaka told Arata that they had some shopping to do.

"Ah, then I'll go get ready!" Arata responded.

"No no no." Osaka responded, waving her hand in front of her face. "This is special girl shopping."

"Oh…" Arata responded. "So…why can't I go?"

"'cause, this is shopping for girls." Osaka responded. "Besides, you need to do somethin' for me while we're gone."

"What's that?" Arata asked.

"What is the sound of one hand clapping...while a tree in a forest falls...and can you hear BOTH?"

Arata froze. His eyes glazed over.

"Ok, Pan, let's go. I hope he can solve that one for me." Osaka replied with a little grin.

Pan wondered to herself if she really had part of her Ayu-mama inside of her. If she did, it sure didn't show.

So, Osaka and Pan left the house, leaving Arata to stare up at the ceiling.

…

The Takino-Mizuhara family walked into the mall.

Koyomiko was excitedly walking with them, as any sort of shopping always did.

But as they passed up the clothing, Koyomiko then realized that something was wrong.

_Huh?_ She thought to herself as she looked back at the clothing they passed up. _Not clothes…well, maybe we're going to the toys!! Wait…no, that's in a separate direction…_

Her curiosity was peaked as they hit the part of the store that many of the employees often refer to as 'intimates'.

"Oh…swimsuits" Koyomiko said, remembering that some girls like to wear two piece swimsuits.

Tomo had to slap her hand over her mouth to keep from bursting out laughing.

"Quiet." Yomi responded grumpily.

Then they headed to the section with the pregnancy bras.

"Kaa-san, why are they all white?" Koyomiko asked.

Yomi began to think fast. She needed an explanation that would suit Koyomiko's mind. "They're SPECIAL swimsuits...for grown up girls...We wear them just in case we have to get wet during some...errand!"

"Kinky" Tomo said with a big grin on her face.

"Shut it..." Yomi snapped. She turned back to Koyomiko. "There are a lot of errands grown-ups do when kids aren't around that involve swimming..."

Tomo snickered.

"Like what?" Koyomiko asked.

And Yomi launched off, without even thinking. "Like...fishing for certain fish. There's more fish out there besides the ones on the counter at the market...If you want one of those, you'll need to go to the back and fish for them. But kids can't come back there because it's dangerous, and since we don't have anyone else to take care of you when we go shopping, we buy these special fish when you're at school or something."

Tomo stood stunned. "Woah…did you come up with that right off the top of your head?"

"Yes…I did…" Yomi replied, utterly amazed at her own explanation.

Tomo's mouth dropped open, giving Yomi the 'holy hell' look.

"So…why does Mama need these special swimsuits?" Koyomiko asked.

"Because your Mama's gonna go fishin' for a sister for ya"

Tomo, Yomi, and Koyomiko all turned to see Pan and Osaka in the same section of the store.

"Don' worry. Ah gotcha covered!" Osaka said, giving Tomo and Yomi a thumbs-up.

"Oh!! So that would be why Osaka-basan is getting a swimsuit, too!!" Koyomiko exclaimed. "For the sibling for Melon!"

"Melon?" Osaka asked.

"Sh-she calls me Melon…" Pan whispered to Osaka. "Because I like the melon bread."

Osaka's face turned to one of slight shock. "Ouch…"

Pan just nodded.

…

After picking out the 'swimsuit tops' that Osaka and Tomo were going to use, Koyomiko and Pan waited outside the fitting rooms while the three adults went in and tried them on.

Pan and Koyomiko would wait outside the waiting rooms. Pan would sneak a glimpse at Koyomiko, only to blush, and turn away. And Koyomiko never seemed to notice, or if she did, she probably thought Pan was looking at something else.

Meanwhile, the two of them could hear the noise coming from inside the fitting room:

"Hey, Yomi!! Quit looking at me while I'm topless!!" Tomo yelled, though she almost sounded excited by it.

"Shh!! Will you keep your voice down?!" Yomi hissed. "There could be men out there, listening to this!!"

"Oi, Yomi-chan, could'ja help me with this?" Osaka asked.

"I will!! Tomo yelled.

"WAGH!! Tomo-chan!! Too tight!" Osaka yelled.

"C'mon, let's perk those boobs of yours out!!" Tomo yelled.

Koyomiko heard a noise she could only recognize as her Kaa-san giving her Mama a left-handed uppercut. Then all went quiet.

"I can't wait to be a grown up, and go special fishing, like the adults do!" Koyomiko said. "What about you, Melon?"

"M-me? Um…I g-guess…" Pan stuttered, a deep blush on her face.

A moment passed before the adults came back out. Tomo was still rubbing the bottom of her chin.

"Oh, that reminds me!!" Yomi said, as she caught glimpse of the kids. "We need to get you a swimsuit for the summer, Koyomiko!!"

Koyomiko's face lit up in happiness. "Really?!"

Yomi nodded, causing Koyomiko to jump down off of the chair, and hug Yomi's leg. "Thank you, Kaa-san!!"

Pan got off of her seat and went with Osaka. "Guess we gotta get you a swimsuit, too, don't we?"

…

Many shopping hours later

…

Pan and Osaka would return home, both of them carrying shopping bags, to find Arata standing in the doorway, a big grin on his face.

"I figured it out!!" Arata said. "If the TV was off, we live in Tokyo, where there are no forests nearby, so I would hear the sound of my one hand clapping!"

Osaka stood there for a moment. Her shopping bags dropped out of her hands.

"You…figured it out…turn off the television…" Osaka said, staring at him.

"Yup!" Arata replied, a big smile on his face.

Osaka walked right up to him, and gave him a big passionate kiss.

"You figured the riddle out that even I couldn't figure out… I love you." Osaka said when she pulled back, a big love-struck look on her face.

"I love you too, Ayumu." Arata said, gaining that same love-struck look.

Pan got a big blush on her face. Any normal kid would have said 'eww, gross!'. Pan couldn't help but think that maybe one day, that might be her and Koyomiko doing that.

…

Koyomiko, Yomi, and Tomo were all walking home that night.

"Hey, listen, Koyomiko. Why don't you head home with your Mama? I gotta talk to your Obaasan." Yomi said.

"Will you be home tonight?" Koyomiko asked.

"Of course I will. It's just a quick talk." Yomi said.

"Ok!" Koyomiko said. "C'mon, Mama, let's go!!"

"Ok!!" Tomo said. She and Koyomiko ran down the street, matching each other's energy, though Tomo obviously slowed down to let Koyomiko keep up.

Yomi smiled a bit before heading off for her mothers.

…

Author's notes: Yeah, 'twas a perverted chapter, but one that needed to be done for the 'boobs' joke right at the beginning.

A special thanks to Funari for all the help she gave me for this chapter.

But next is a chapter concerning a character that had a most recent explosion on the message board I hang out at.

Next Chapter: American Friend Jill


	117. American Friend Jill

American Friend Jill

…

Earlier that same day

…

Mrs. Mizuhara sat on the couch, watching her favorite soap opera 'All my children's offspring.'

…

The daughter walks in to the house.

"Ah, there's my sweet daughter! How was your day?" The father asks.

"Mom, Dad, I'm pregnant." The girl says.

…

Mrs. Mizuhara gasps.

…

As do the parents on the show.

"WHAT?!" They both yell.

"Ok, I'm not really pregnant. But I just got an F in math, and I thought that would lighten the mood." The daughter said.

…

Mrs. Mizuhara had to take in a few deep breaths to recover. "Oh...my...she almost HAD me there. She hadn't even SLEPT with him yet!...Wait...an F?!"

At that moment, the phone rang.

Mrs. Mizuhara turned off the television, and went to answer it.

"Hello?" She answered.

As the person on the other side talked, a small smile came across Mrs. Mizuhara's face.

"Really, now?" Mrs. Mizuhara replied.

More talking. The smile on Mrs. Mizuhara's face got bigger.

"Alright then…" (talking on the other line) "…yes…" (more talking) "…no, he's out, as usual…" (even more talking) "…of course I could. I'll meet you there in 15 minutes." Mrs. Mizuhara replied.

She hung up the phone, grabbed her purse from the table, made sure to take her notebook and pen from the coffee table next to the couch (and stuck them in purse) then she left the house.

…

We now move to a table outside a coffee place, where an American woman with blonde hair and blue eyes sits down at a table.

A coffee shop employee comes up to the table. "Can I get you anything, maim?" he asks.

"Yes, I'd like two cups of tea. One for me, and one for a friend who will be coming" she said.

The employee took the order, bowed, and left. He came back a few short minutes later with two cups of tea on little plates.

Jill reaches out and takes a small sip of her tea, then sets the cup back down. She then looks up to the empty chair before her.

"My, my...if it isn't my Chibi-Kuri" the woman said out loud without moving her head.

Mrs. Mizuhara came out of the shadows, fake-pouting. "You were the only one who could always sense me coming, Jill"

"Still have those stalker-like tendencies, I see" Jill replied, as Mrs. Mizuhara sat down across from her.

"With kids, they're actually rather helpful" Mrs. Mizuhara replied. She lifted up her tea, took a sip, then set it back down. "So, what have you been up to?"

"Nothing much…" Jill replied. "Just…living day to day. I got a very nice job that paid well, and I finally got to retire this year."

"Retire, huh?" Mrs. Mizuhara replied. "But you're only…"

"Ah ah ah!" Jill interrupted. "Can't reveal a woman's age."

"So very true." Mrs. Mizuhara replied. Both of them giggled.

"So how about you?" Jill asked. "How's your child, Koyomi?"

"She's doing well. Has her own lover, a child, and another one on the way." Mrs. Mizuhara replied with a smile.

"How nice. And how are the grandchildren?" Jill asked.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the new one…and I absolutely love the first one…she's named Koyomiko, after her mother." Mrs. Mizuhara said.

"How nice." Jill said with a smile. "And how's the husband?"

"Oh, you know…more in love with his work than he is me." Mrs. Mizuhara said with a smile, though her tone of voice said otherwise.

"And…he's working right now?" Jill asked, a small glint in her eye.

"He's in love with his work. He's always working" Mrs. Mizuhara replied, looking down at her tea.

"And how far is your house from here?" Jill asked, still smiling with the glint.

Then Mrs. Mizuhara looked up from her tea. "Jill!"

A moment's pause…

Before Mrs. Mizuhara got that same glint in her eye. "Someone might have stalker-like tendencies...and spy on us"

Jill giggled. "Like your daughter, perhaps?"

"I'm afraid Koyomi hasn't been taught my ways yet." Mrs. Mizuhara replied with a giggle.

Mrs. Mizuhara stood up. "So, are you coming?"

Jill smiled, stood up, left money for the bill, then she and Mrs. Mizuhara began walking to the Mizuhara house.

As they both walked back, both Mrs. Mizuhara and Jill could very easily remember their first meeting…

…

Flashback to college

…

Jill is sitting in a classroom that Mrs. Mizuhara walks in to. Jill doesn't pay much mind to the person who enters, but Mrs. Mizuhara, noticing that Jill is alone in that one row, decides to be friendly, and head up there

Mrs. Mizuhara walks up. "Excuse me...I couldn't help but notice we're in a few classes together."

"Yes...we are" Jill said. She's uncertain about Mrs. Mizuhara's motives at this point, as most other people usually say 'hello' and then leave.

"Oh, wow! Your Japanese is really good!" Mrs. Mizuhara says, obviously complementing Jill.

"I studied a lot" Jill said.

"But...I bet you don't have anyone to talk to yet. That's a shame...you seem like a nice person, too." Mrs. Mizuhara takes a seat next to Jill.

"I guess it's because people view me as a foreigner..." Jill says, smiling a bit as she looks at Mrs. Mizuhara. "Though...I must say...you're being far nicer than a lot of other people"

"I just like to be polite is all!" Mrs. Mizuhara replies. "But yes...we are pretty shy, and even nervous around foreigners. That's not me, though. I like to look at the person's character, not their nationality!" Mrs. Mizuhara gives Jill a big smile.

Jill's own smile becomes a bit bigger. "You have a nice smile"

Mrs. Mizuhara blinks. "I do?" Mrs. Mizuhara she hides behind a book in embarrassment.

Jill giggles.

"I'm Jill. What's your name?" Jill asks.

"I'm Miss Kuriyama" Mrs. Mizuhara replies.

"What? No first name?" Jill asks with a small grin.

"Not telling…it's a secret" Mrs. Mizuhara replies.

Jill giggles.

(End of flashback)

…

But the next part made Jill a bit sad… for it was the hardest out of all of her memories…

…

(Flashback)

It was reaching the end of their college careers. Mrs. Mizuhara and Jill were soon to graduate. Their relationship had gone from simple friends to something a bit more, but never carried on beyond 'good friends'. Jill had come up with a cute pet name for Mrs. Mizuhara. She liked to call her 'her little chibi-Kuri' (meaning 'little chestnut')

"So, my little chibi-Kuri…" Jill said. "What are you going to do after graduation?"

"You first. What are you going to do after college?" Mrs. Mizuhara replies in an excited tone.

"Probably start my career as a Japanese translator." Jill replies. "I hear it pays well if you go to the government."

"I plan on starting a family." Mrs. Mizuhara says happily. "I want to have a child of my own… one that I will watch grow up, and have kids of her own…I mean, I love kids after all, and…"

Mrs. Mizuhara looks over at Jill to see a very sad look on her face.

"Jill?" Mrs. Mizuhara asks.

After all that the two had gone through…for their relationship to come to an end…

Jill looked up at Mrs. Mizuhara, the tears building in her eyes.

"I love you." Jill says simply.

Mrs. Mizuhara's frowned at first, but then her face loosened as she came to realize something…

Her relationship with Jill had gone that far…the two had flirted in the past, though they had never actually made any sort of sensual contact.

Mrs. Mizuhara now feels guilty. She had been admitting her dream future to the one woman that loved her, and in truth, who she loved as well, and she knew that Jill couldn't fulfill her dreams of having children.

"I'm sorry, Jill…I…love you too…but my problem is…I love kids…and I know that…with you…that just can't happen…" Mrs. Mizuhara says sadly.

"But…what about adoption?" Jill asks.

"No…I want a child of my own…it's not you, Jill…it's me." Mrs. Mizuhara said.

(End Flashback)

…

"Thinking about the past, Jill?" Mrs. Mizuhara asked.

Jill smiles a bit, and nods.

"It was a hard time…for the both of us…I really couldn't stop thinking about how I had almost broken your heart that day…" Mrs. Mizuhara said. "Then my husband came along…and gave me my dream…"

Jill giggled at this part. "And that's when we found each other again, for your husband started loving his job."

"Indeed he did." Mrs. Mizuhara replied. Though she kept in touch with Jill, Yomi kept her busy as Mrs. Mizuhara often had to raise Yomi on her own, but now that Yomi had moved out, and even had a love of her own, Mrs. Mizuhara had been left alone in her house…

Mrs. Mizuhara smiled. "So, Jill, did you ever find another love?"

"Only you, Chibi-Kuri" Jill said with a slight smile.

"My name is Mrs. Mizuhara now." Mrs. Mizuhara said.

It only took Jill about a second to come up with a new name.

"My little Mizu-honey." Jill replied again, with a slightly bigger smile.

The two women giggled.

The two finally reached the Mizuhara household. Mrs. Mizuhara unlocked the door, and allowed Jill in.

"Wow…you have a very nice house, Mizu-honey." Jill said, looking around.

"It's a modest house, but it's rather nice." Mrs. Mizuhara replied.

Jill turned around as Mrs. Mizuhara closed the door, and took Mrs. Mizuhara's hands in her own.

"So…interested in rekindling a lost love?" Jill asked.

"I'm not sure about this, Jill." Mrs. Mizuhara replied, taking her hands out of Jill's, and walking behind her. "I mean…I'm married after all…"

Jill turned herself around, then turned Mrs. Mizuhara around so they were face-to-face once again, and placed her hands on Mrs. Mizuhara's shoulders.

"You told me…your husband is in love with his work…and I haven't loved anyone else…" Jill said. "This will be…to make me happy…"

Mrs. Mizuhara looked deeply into Jill's eyes. A small smile came across her face.

"I suppose…" she said quietly. "For you, Jill…my old lost love…"

Jill pulled in close, wrapping her arms around Mrs. Mizuhara's neck. "We'll go further…than even college…"

A passionate kiss, something that Mrs. Mizuhara hadn't gotten in a long time, touched her lips. It felt like a heavenly bliss.

The two fell back on the couch, Mrs. Mizuhara on bottom, completely lost in a passionate kissing. For Jill, it was finally her dream come true. For Mrs. Mizuhara, it was love, something she herself hadn't gotten in a long time…

"MOM!!"

_(RECORD SCRATCH!!)_

Jill and Mrs. Mizuhara fell to the floor in surprise.

"Ow…oh my…that hurt…" Mrs. Mizuhara moaned.

"Sorry, Mizu-honey…" Jill said, standing herself up.

Jill extended a hand, and helped Mrs. Mizuhara up. The two calmly brush themselves off, and look to the doorway.

Yomi stood there, completely frozen, as the mental image of her mother kissing another woman on the couch being forever scarred into her mind.

"Koyomi! So glad you could come over! This is my American Friend, Jill!" Mrs. Mizuhara introduced, acting as if nothing had happened.

""Please to meet you, Koyomi. I've heard so much about you." Jill replies cheerfully, bowing in respect.

"Mom…" Yomi starts out calmly. "…can I ask what THE HELL YOU WERE DOING?!"

"I'm making things different" Mrs. Mizuhara replies.

"Wait...you mean she's REAL?!" Yomi yelled in surprise.

"Well, of course, dear! You didn't think I just made her up, did you?" Mrs. Mizuhara responds.

Jill giggled.

Yomi's mind began to realize just what was happening here. "Mom!! This is so totally wrong!!"

"Oh, c'mon, Koyomi, how is this any different from you and Tomo?" Mrs. Mizuhara asks.

"Um...DAD!!" Yomi retorts.

"Oh, your father is in love with his work...I'm allowed to love too, ya know." Mrs. Mizuhara replies.

One thing about Mrs. Mizuhara: Even when caught cheating, she never lost her cool.

"But...I SAW YOU MAKING OUT!! ON THE COUCH!!" Yomi was losing it now.

"and?" Mrs. Mizuhara asked.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS GOING TO BE TO GET THOSE IMAGES OUT OF MY MIND?!"

"Koyomi, you need to settle down. A vein pops out in your head when you're mad" Mrs. Mizuhara turned to Jill and whispered to her. "Gets that from her father"

"I can imagine" Jill said with a giggle.

"But...I...and Dad...and..." Yomi's so lost that she can't even properly form her sentences anymore.

"Koyomi, I think you need to go home to your love, and possibly make out on your couch" Mrs. Mizuhara responds.

Jill giggled again.

"Say, does she or her lover have a pet name like I do for you, Mizu-honey?" Jill asked.

At that moment, Yomi's face turned red.

"She calls her 'Yomi'" Mrs. Mizuhara said with a wink.

"Oooooooh" Jill said in a teasing tone.

"I'm leaving now." Yomi replied, walking out.

Both Mrs. Mizuhara and Jill giggled.

…

Yomi walked home, still unsuccessfully trying to get that mental image of her mother making out on her couch with another woman.

"I wonder how long that's gone on…" Yomi wondered.

Yomi stared up at the sky, and for a moment, her mind wandered away.

"Such a beautiful purple sky…" Yomi commented.

Yomi continued her walk home to Tomo and Koyomiko, who were probably waiting for her.

…

Author's Notes: This chapter is dedicated to Funari's Uncle David, who passed away recently. His favorite color was purple, which is why the sky was colored that way at the end of the fic.

Anyway, special thanks to Funari for helping me with Mrs. Mizuhara's past, something even she herself had not touched until now.

Well, we head out to the next chapter, where we finally get going on getting to the beach house!!

Next Chapter: Summer Starts Rough


	118. Summer Starts Rough

Summer Starts Rough

…

Saturday, July 19th

…

Now we join everyone at the beginning of summer vacation.

Tomo continually complained to Yomi about her caffeine withdrawals, for which Yomi would just ignore, and keep Tomo away from the soda. Tomo would then continue on her day, boasting about how big her boobs were getting.

Sakaki would have to use the bathroom about 20 times a day. Both Joe and Nekosa continued to wonder just where all of this liquid came from.

But Osaka, with her getting pregnant about a month earlier than everyone else, would also hit her second trimester before everyone else.

And Arata would know that Osaka had hit the second trimester from something that had happened one morning.

Arata would wake up to Osaka, crying into his body.

"Ayumu, what's wrong?" Arata asked.

"I…I…" Osaka continued to cry.

"What? What happened?"

"I killed Chiyo-chan in my dreams again!!" And Osaka went back to crying.

"There, there, its ok, Ayumu" Arata replied with a slight smile. He wrapped his arms around Osaka, and rubbed her back comfortingly.

Arata had read the book that Yomi had sent him (the same one she had sent to Joe). He knew Osaka had done this many times before, but she never actually cried over it. It was the pregnancy, and he knew it.

…

Osaka and Arata were walking to Chiyo's house. Shaun had informed them all of the vacation that was going to be taking place during this time.

"Man, I'm so glad we could all still go on a vacation, despite Chiyo's beach house being blown up." Osaka said.

"Yeah, I know, though I wish I could have seen it" Arata replied.

At that, Osaka began to cry. "I know…so many fond memories…"

Then she sounded mad. "Damn those evil guys who blew it up!!"

Suddenly, she stopped, and blinked a bit. "Woah…that was weird…"

"Mood swings…it is a little weird…" Arata replied with the same amazement that Osaka had.

Osaka and Arata walked up to the gate, which was already open. As they came in, they could see why. Everyone else was already there.

"Ah, Osaka-san, Arata-san!" Chiyo immediately exclaimed as she saw them coming in.

Pan immediately went over and hugged Osaka. She had spent the week at Kagura's house, so seeing her Ayu-mama was nice for her.

"Oh, c'mon, Nekosa, he's nice." Joe said.

"No…he's a dog!" Nekosa responded in a frightened tone.

Nekosa had climbed a tree, and would not come down. Immediately upon seeing Tadaichi-san, she had panicked.

"But Tadaichi-san is a nice dog! He wouldn't bite." Chiyo said, turning her attention back towards the frightened cat-girl.

"Dog!!" Nekosa yelled.

Joe and Sakaki sighed.

"Well, if you're not coming down, then I'm coming up!" Joe walked back a few steps, then ran at the tree. He ran up it a bit, and grabbed on to the lowest branch. Lifting himself upwards, he slowly climbed the tree, right up to Nekosa.

"O-Otousan, don't do this!" Nekosa cried. "I don't want to go down there!"

"Nekosa, one day you're going to have to learn to face your fears. And now would be a good time!" Joe responded, as he inched his way closer to Nekosa. "I spent time with that dog far before we even knew you, so I know he's nice!"

At that moment, Nekosa leapt out of the tree, and into Sakaki's open arms, from about the middle of a very tall tree.

Joe remained dumbfounded in the tree for a moment.

"Damn that cat side…" he grumbled to himself.

Joe then decided to climb out of the tree himself. However, as he reached the bottom branch, he slipped, and fell onto his back.

"hehe…very elegant landing, Joe!" Tomo piped up with a wildcat grin.

"Oh, shut up, Takino!" Joe replied grumpily, which caused Tomo to laugh.

Joe stood up, and cracked his back.

"You ok?" Sakaki asked, concern in her voice.

"I'm fine." Joe replied, as he sat down, rubbing his own back.

Sakaki walked over to the sleeping Tadaichi-san. As Sakaki stared down at the dog, she could feel Nekosa shaking in her arms.

"It's alright, Nekosa. It's ok…" Sakaki said, trying to soothe her shaking daughter as she sat down right next to Tadaichi-san.

"O-Okaasan…I'm scared…" Nekosa whimpered softly.

As with any dog, Tadaichi-san sensed Nekosa's fear. What he didn't know was that Nekosa was afraid of him, specifically. So, as any nice dog would do, Tadaichi-san perked his head up, and began wagging his tail.

Nekosa caught sight of this. "O-Okaasan…Okaasan…"

"It's ok, he's not gonna bite you." Sakaki tried soothing her daughter, though unsuccessfully, as Nekosa's shaking became more noticeable.

Chiyo sighed. It was obvious it wasn't working. "C'mere, Tadaichi-san!"

Tadaichi, upon hearing Chiyo's call, went over to her, wagging his tail.

Nekosa's shaking died down, though was still very noticeable. Sakaki's heart was breaking for her daughter, and her terrible fear.

"So, are we going?" Koharu asked, trying to change the subject.

"Well, we still need to wait for our rides." Shaun replied.

"And our guest will be here soon" Kaorin added.

_Guest?_ Everyone else except for Chiyo wondered. Kaorin had asked Chiyo if it would be ok for one more, and Chiyo said it was fine.

As the guest walked down the road, she couldn't help but stare wide-eyed at the house she was going to.

"Man, it's huge…" the girl said to herself. She adjusted the strap of the bag carrying all of her belongings on her shoulder, and walked into the driveway.

The guest entering the Mihama gates immediately triggered a response.

"Oh, heck no!!" Koharu growled.

Heck yes. Sachiko Nakamura had walked through the gates.

And she immediately put on her grumpy face upon seeing Koharu.

"No no no no no no!!" Koharu turned to Kaorin. "No!!"

"Yes." Kaorin replied firmly.

And even at this point, Kagura knew not to ask. Kaorin had done this on purpose.

"But why?!" Koharu whined.

"Because I think it would be a good time for you two to learn how to get along." Kaorin responded sternly.

Koharu angrily turned around, and ran up to the now-grumpy-looking Sachiko.

"You wanted to come here on purpose, didn't you?!" Koharu growled angrily and silently so no one else could hear.

"I wish." Sachiko responded, also so no one else could here. "I actually didn't want to come. But your mom asked my mom, and my mom forced me to go."

"Psh…parents. Always make things worse." Koharu mumbled.

"Tell me about it." Sachiko responded back.

Koharu grumpily turned around, leaving Sachiko to go lean up against a tree, and wait for their rides.

Koharu stared grumpily at Kaorin, who glared angrily back. It sent a small chill up Koharu's spine. Koharu then went and sat down next to Tadaichi-san, who had laid down next to Chiyo.

Kagura sighed. "This was supposed to be a nice vacation, not the start of World War 3"

"Yeah, well, bad decision on my part, but hey, at least they'll hopefully learn to get along, right?" Kaorin asked.

"Doubt it." Kagura responded.

Meanwhile, Koyomiko, who was sitting over with Tomo and Yomi, had taken a sudden interest in what had just happened.

Koyomiko walked over to Koharu. "Hey, Koharu-chan, what's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it" Koharu replied grumpily.

Koyomiko, deciding that Koharu wasn't going to spill the beans, went over to talk to Sachiko.

Koyomiko, a big smile on her face, walked right up to Sachiko, who just continued to stare grumpily at the ground.

"Hi!" Koyomiko said in her typical happy voice.

Sachiko's eyes traveled from the ground up to the happy Koyomiko.

"I'm Koyomiko! What's your name?"

Sachiko just stared grumpily at Koyomiko.

"Hello?! I asked your name. Kaa-san says it's rude when people ask for your names and you don't give it to them!" Koyomiko said.

"If I tell you, will you go away?" Sachiko asked.

"Of course!" Koyomiko replied. (Behind her back, she evilly crossed her fingers)

"Sachiko." Sachiko replied.

"Wow! Sachiko! That's a nice name!" Koyomiko said happily.

"Didn't you say you were gonna leave me alone?" Sachiko asked grumpily.

Koyomiko pulled her hand out from behind her back. "Crossed my fingers!"

Sachiko's eye twitched.

Koyomiko then continued talking on her own while Sachiko grumpily stared on.

"Well, at least Koyomiko's making a new friend…" Tomo whispered to Yomi.

Yomi's eyes went to Koharu, who was staring at Sachiko and Koyomiko. But Koharu had an evil little smirk on her face, because she knew poor Sachiko was being tortured by Koyomiko's talking.

Yomi's eyes then went to Nekosa, who was still somewhat crying in Sakaki's arms.

Yomi sighed. "Already this vacation is starting out horrible…"

In truth, the vacation hadn't even started yet. Yomi hoped the vacation itself would be better than this.

And at long last, Nyamo's car finally pulled up, along with a van that no one recognized.

A tall man with glasses, graying hair, and a lab coat stepped out of the van.

"Good evening to all. Sorry to keep you waiting. My name's Urashima Seta"

…

Author's Notes: Ok, I did a little bit of research, and apparently summer vacation in Japan goes from July 20th to August 31st. Not sure if it's the total truth, but that's what I managed to find.

But anyway, sorry again to cut it short, but now we head on to the actual drive to the beach house.

Next Chapter: Trip Setup


	119. Trip Setup

Trip Setup

Note: 'Love Hina' crossovers

…

"Sorry to be so late." Seta started, rubbing the back of his head with one hand in embarrassment. "We had to wait up for the other two drivers to leave."

"Other two drivers?" Yomi asked. "What other two drivers?"

At that exact moment, a blue BMW made a very slow stop right behind Seta's van.

The man wearing his usual U.S. Navy Pilot's jacket stepped out of the car.

"This man's name is Iceman…" Seta said. "He generously volunteered to help us give you guy's rides."

Iceman removed his shades, again revealing his hazel-colored eyes.

"He's also a police officer, so you shouldn't have much to worry about when you're riding with him." Seta continued.

"My, a whole gathering." Iceman said, as his eyes casually looked over all of them. "Nice to meet you all…"

His eyes stopped on the tall Sakaki, to whom he casually strolls over to.

"...but it is more than a pleasure to meet you, miss...?"

U-uh...Sakaki..." Sakaki replied, unsure of how to take this.

"Sakaki... A beautiful name for a beautiful woman." Iceman replied. He took Sakaki's right hand in his own two. "How lucky I am to meet you."

He kissed the hand, causing Sakaki to blush, and another person to get rather angry.

"And that Sakaki that you are talking to just happens to be my wife" Joe growled angrily.

"Heh…seems someone's hitting on your wife, Joe." Tomo replied with a smirk.

"Can it, Takino!" Joe snapped back.

"Oh, so she's taken…" Iceman said.

Iceman muttered 'damn' under his breath, then let go of Sakaki's hand, and turned to Joe.

"My apologies, but I have to ask. How did a guy like you end up with a woman like her?" Iceman asked.

Joe angrily glared at Iceman. "I did stuff for her that no other man would ever do!"

"Heh, good for you! I don't know many guys who would be so selfless in the bedroom..."

Both Joe and Sakaki gained blushes.

"Oh, but you should hear about his 'little' secret…" Tomo replied.

At that, Joe snapped. "DAMN IT, TAKINO!!" he whipped around, and jumped for Tomo, arms extended for the throat.

Luckily for Tomo, Iceman grabbed Joe's wrist and pulled him back.

""Hold up there, guy, she got a good jab in there. You should commend her for it." All the while, he was trying not to laugh.

"And how exactly do you know what she's talking about anyway?" Joe asked.

"Oh, come on." Iceman said. "Given the context of this conversation, what else could it mean?"

Joe blushed in embarrassment, and looked away.

"Hey, don't worry about it!" Iceman said, trying to cheer him up. "If it's indeed true, remember, 'It's not the size that counts, its how you use it."

"Try telling that to her" Joe replied grumpily.

Iceman opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by the squealing of tires.

Chiyo lost all the color in her face and body.

"It's coming…it's coming…" she chanted.

And a brand new souped-up 2007 Toyota Corolla came cruising around the corner, screeching as it did, then screeching on its breaks as it stopped very neatly behind Seta's car.

"Woah…you even know that she got a new car. Nice, Chiyo." Tomo responded.

Nyamo walked angrily up to Yukari as she got out of the driver's side.

"I thought you were suspended from driving, and had a court date!!" Nyamo grumbled.

"Well, the courts told me that I can't drive while school is in session!" Yukari said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "So that means that I can drive on the weekends, and on the vacations!"

"Damn it all to hell…" Nyamo grumbled.

"Awww…I know ya love it!" Yukari replied with a big smile on her face.

Moe Fang rolled his window down, and sat down on his door, so that he could slide back in.

"C'mon, guys, we gotta go! We're already late as it is!" he yelled. He then slid back into his seat.

So, with that, everyone grabbed all of their things to put in the different vehicles.

But as Sakaki walked past her husband, she stopped. She noticed tears running down his face.

"Joe? Are you alright?"

Joe grabbed her in a tight hug, and began crying into her shoulder.

"Why? Why does she do it? She knows it hurts…"

Sakaki closed her eyes, and wrapped her arms around him.

"She's gonna go telling the whole world about it…I'll be laughed at as I walk down the street…" Joe continued, crying harder into Sakaki's shoulder.

Sakaki just continued to let him cry.

Joe finally pulled back, wiping away the tears from his eyes and face. "Thank you, Tanaka. I needed that."

Sakaki instead pulled him in for a kiss.

Then pulling back, she said. "Just know…it doesn't matter to me. I know you'll be a great father to our child. You have been one already to Nekosa."

This seemed to work, as Joe gained a sincere smile on his face.

"Thank you…" Joe said again.

Sakaki got a smile on her face, and the two of them grabbed their bags to load into the vehicles.

"All right, then. Tomo-san, Sakaki-san, Osaka-san, you guys are with me!" Nyamo declared.

"What?! But I wanna ride with Yukari-chan!" Tomo whined.

"Heck no! You're pregnant!! You are riding with the safe driver!" Yomi said.

"What the hell?!" Tomo yelled. "C'mon, first the soda and now this?! When do pregnant women get to have any fun?!"

"Should have known what you were getting yourself into, Tomo-chan." Chiyo said. "Pregnant women don't get to have any fun. They gotta protect the baby that's inside of them."

"Damn it all!!" Tomo yelled as she walked grumpily towards Nyamo's car.

"Watch your language!!" Yomi yelled back.

"So, then…um…who wants to ride with Yukari?" Joe asked.

"You'd have to be crazy to want to ride in that vehicle." Kagura said.

At that moment, everyone heard one of Yukari's doors open. They all looked to see Sachiko getting in.

"Wait, Sachiko-san! I promised your mother I'd take care of you!!" Kaorin said.

"I'm getting in myself, aren't I?" Sachiko said. Then she got an evil, malicious grin on her face. "Besides, I know that Koharu could NEVER get in here…she's too chicken."

Koharu's eyes burned anger and death, and she almost ran over to that vehicle.

"Koharu, no!!" Kaorin was about to run after her, when Kagura put out one arm, and stopped her.

"What are you doing?!" Kaorin yelled.

"Let her go." Kagura replied coolly. "If you stopped her now, she would never forgive you."

"But I wouldn't forgive myself if anything happened to her!!" Kaorin retorted.

"She'll be fine. She's a tough girl." Kagura said, still maintaining the coolness.

"How can you be so calm when our daughter is getting into the vehicle of a crazy, psychotic, wack-job driver?!" Kaorin yelled.

"Hey!! I am not a wack-job!" Yukari yelled.

"Because…I know what it's like to have a rival." Kagura said. "You'll do anything…even risking your own life…to prove to this rival that you're better."

Kaorin stood there, taking in Kagura's words, as she watched Koharu slam Yukari's vehicle door shut.

…

Sachiko grinned maliciously as Koharu got into the vehicle, and buckled herself in.

"So, you scared?" Sachiko asked in a malicious tone.

"Not even in your dreams, Nakamura." Koharu replied grumpily.

Then all of the other seating arrangements were settled. Koyomiko, Nekosa, Chiyo, and Shaun would all be riding with Iceman, while everyone else (Joe, Kagura, Kaorin, Arata, and Yomi) would be riding with Seta in his van.

But as everyone got into their vehicles, Yukari, Iceman, and Seta all sat outside, talking to each other.

Everyone wondered what they were talking about…

"You gonna wait for them?" Saotome asked from Nyamo's passenger seat.

"No thank you." Nyamo said grumpily, as she started up and drove off. "If I know Yukari, then I know exactly what they're talking about."

"This sucks…" Tomo grumbled from the back seat.

"Ah believe it actually blows, Tomo-chan…" Osaka replied.

Everyone stared at Osaka for a moment.

"…unless you can get the air-conditioning ta suck the air out of the vehicle…" Osaka mused.

…

After a few more minutes of talking, Yukari, Iceman, and Seta all returned to their respective vehicles.

As Iceman got in, Chiyo just had to ask.

"So, um…what was that all about?"

"We're going to race." Iceman said.

"What?!" Both Chiyo and Shaun screamed.

"B-but…you're a cop!!" Chiyo screamed.

"Hey, gotta have fun every once in a while, right?" Iceman replied with a chuckle.

Shaun and Chiyo lost all the color in their bodies.

…

The vehicles were started up…

Seta in his vehicle inserted a CD into the CD player of his van, with Yukari doing the same in her car.

"What's that?" Joe asked from the back of Seta's van.

"We're going to sync our music. It'll make this ride a bit more fun." Seta explained.

"Excuse me…fun?" Joe responded in a worried tone.

Seta watched out of his side mirror as Yukari signaled '3…2…1…'

As Yukari made a fist, Seta hit play.

Perfect sync.

"All right, then. Let's get this started." Seta said with a grin.

And thusly, the beginning of a theme song that everyone knew would scare them all beyond the haunting, as they all realized what Seta was about to do.

Meanwhile, Sachiko and Koharu sat in the back of Yukari's vehicle, knowing what they were about to get themselves into, but not willing to show fear around the other.

Little did they know, it was going to be the ride of their lives.

…

Author's notes: Hehe…the cliffhanger to the next chapter, where there is but little talking and almost all driving action.

Next chapter: Hell's Race


	120. Hell's Race

Hell's Race

Notes: Again, Yukari's theme song is "Ready to Die" By Andrew W.K.

…

Yukari and Seta tore away from Chiyo's house, pushing their pedals to the floor, and zooming away.

Both of them reached 60 miles an hour within a few seconds of leaving the house.

Everyone in Seta's van was already screaming for their lives.

Sachiko and Koharu had grabbed hold of whatever they could to hold on, but the both of them refusing to scream in front of the other.

…

Meanwhile, Iceman sat back, waiting.

"Um…Iceman, aren't you going?" Chiyo asked.

"Well, I figure I should give them a sporting chance…my BMW could easily smoke their vehicles in a fair race." Iceman explained.

"Why is that scaring me even more?" Chiyo said nervously.

"I wanna go!" Koyomiko whined.

"Just wait, we'll go…you just gotta be patient." Iceman replied.

…

Meanwhile, the synchronized music from both Seta's van and Yukari's car began playing that ever famous theme song, while Seta and Yukari were both stopped at a red light.

_This is your time to pay, this is your judgment day, we made a sacrifice and now we get to take your life…_

Yukari revved her engine, causing Seta to gain a slight grin.

_We shoot without a gun, we'll take on anyone, it's really nothing new, it's just a thing we like to do…_

The light turned green, and both vehicles tore out of their spots.

_You'd better get ready to die! (Get ready to DIE!!)_

Yukari and Seta wove through traffic, the both of them keeping up with each other.

_You'd better get ready to kill! (Get ready to KILL!!)_

"I wanna be in that…" Tomo moaned, tears rivering down her face, as both Yukari and Seta tore past Nyamo's vehicle.

_You'd better get ready to run, 'cause here we coooooooome!_

_You'd better get ready to die! (Get ready to DIE!!)_

…

At this point, Iceman had felt like he had idled his engine long enough.

He shifted into drive, and tore away from Chiyo's house.

"Man…here we go!!" Chiyo whined.

Meanwhile, as they hit incredibly fast speeds, Koyomiko began laughing.

"Yay!! Faster!! Faster!!"

"You want faster?! I'll give you faster!!" Iceman said, the engine's loud humming getting his adrenaline pumping. He stepped more on the gas, causing it to go faster.

…

Yukari was now behind Seta. They had reached a two-lane road, but Yukari was looking to pass Seta up.

She kept weaving to look into the opposing lane, only to be met with an oncoming car.

Both Koharu and Sachiko could feel their hearts jump to their throats ever time Yukari did this, but both of them had yet to scream. Neither would let the other know they were a coward.

_Your life is over now, your life is running out, when your time is at an end, then it's time to kill again…_

The road opened up into four lanes. Seta switched over to the left lane, and Yukari pulls up next to him in the right.

_Wake up without a life…_

A car is blocking the lane that Yukari is in…

_We live in black and white…_

Yukari sped up to try and beat Seta so she could switch lanes.

_You're just a parasite now close your eyes and say goodnight!_

Both Koharu and Sachiko actually stopped breathing for a full second, as Yukari switched lanes in a very tiny space, and ended up trading a little bit of paint with Seta's van.

_You'd better get ready to die! (Get ready to DIE!!)_

_You'd better get ready to kill! (Get ready to KILL!!)_

Suddenly, Iceman's BMW goes flying by all of them.

_You'd better get ready to run, 'cause here we cooooooome!_

_You'd better get ready to die! (Get ready to DIE!!)_

"So, the man wants a full race, does he?" Seta said. "Ok then…"

He reached underneath the steering wheel, and pushed a button.

"Thank you, Su" he said to himself.

Everyone in the van suddenly felt a lurch forward, as Seta kicked in the boosters.

In her car, Yukari saw the same thing. Iceman went zooming by the both of them with his faster car.

"Oh, like hell this is gonna happen!!" Yukari pushed in the pedal all the way to the floor, but it was being plainly obvious that she was about to lose the race.

And that's when disaster struck.

Seta's van tires couldn't handle the speed at which he was traveling. One tire completely blew, sending the van sideways. As the van hit the pavement, it immediately flipped into the air at the speed it was going at.

Iceman's car drove right under it, completely unharmed.

Yukari, on the other hand, would see the van land on the road in front of her, and immediately turn off in a panic.

There was lots of screeching heard, as Iceman pulled up to the beach house, totally unharmed.

Yukari's vehicle had luckily avoided everything, but was now on the wrong side of the road going the wrong way. Doing a complete 360, Yukari pulled the vehicle around and pulled in to the beach house.

Seta's van, now looking like a total wreck, had luckily landed in the sand on the beach.

At that moment, Motoko Ayoma came walking out behind a running Shinobu. Shinobu immediately ran to Iceman's vehicle, and helped Shaun, Chiyo, and Nekosa out, who looked like their spirits were about ready to leave this world.

"That was fun!!" Koyomiko said, jumping out of the passenger seat.

Joe, Kagura, Kaorin, Yomi, and Arata all stepped out of the back of Seta's van, looking like they had just seen a ghost. Though by the way Seta drove like he was headed to hell, they all probably did.

Seta got out of his side the van, showing nothing more than a bleeding head, with the blood trickling down his face.

"Man…gonna have to get Su to work on this again." He said.

Everyone who had rode with him stared.

"AGAIN?!" They all yelled.

…

Iceman climbed out of his car, and lifted his sunglasses up to his head, grinning like an idiot at the recent event. Hey, it was awesome, how couldn't he?

Then he noticed a face he hadn't seen before. Black hair, hardened expression, above average form...

Confidently, he strode over to meet her. "Hi! I'm a friend of the girls', Eric Stephan," he said, acting casual.

Motoko stared Eric down.

"I'm not interested." She simply said.

Iceman blinked. "Huh? Oh, no, I didn't mean it like that. I was merely introducing myself. I assume you know the others, so I figure I might as well meet everyone." He was being sincere. After all, he hadn't set his sights that high yet; he wasn't stupid.

"My name is Motoko Aoyama... and it would be best if you talked to someone else now." Motoko replied coldly

"Motoko..." he repeated.

Nice name, he thought.

"Why so hostile?" he asked. He knew he was pushing his luck, but he's always been one to live on the edge.

"Because..." Motoko replied coldly. Her hand very slowly moved towards the handle of her katana. "I'm not fond of men..."

"Hey, we're not all bad," Iceman said, trying to lighten the mood. Yeah, living on the edge. The edge of a blade, rather, would be more fitting.

Motoko, feeling like this guy wasn't leaving anytime soon, grabbed her katana, and in the blink of an eye, had it up against Eric's throat.

Eric smiled, tilting his head back enough as to not touch the sword. He then reached up with a finger, and made to move the sword away from his neck, as he stepped around it. "Careful with that," he said, keeping his light mood. "Don't want to hurt anyone."

"On the contrary...I'd like to hurt you." Motoko said. Now she took a stance. This guy seriously wasn't leaving. "Now, leave me be."

He probably should have left. But, clearly, Motoko believed Eric was some guy whose only intent was to get her in bed. He wanted to change that impression; he wasn't the type. Nor was he one who couldn't handle himself.

"You should be careful who you threaten," Iceman warned, though sure not to be mocking in any way. "You never know who might be able to defend themselves. I'll leave you be if you apologize." He put his hand in his pocket at this time, almost casually.

At that moment, Motoko gave a stare-down to Iceman, before slowly sheathing her katana.

"I apologize...I should not judge you on the basis of other men." Motoko said. Her tone, however, still read absolute coldness.

She turned and walked back into the Hinata Beach House.

"Well, that first meeting went rather well…" Joe said, having watched the whole scene. His heart was still racing a bit.

"Koharu!!" Kagura suddenly ran to Yukari's vehicle. Kaorin did the same, though she jumped to the other side to help out Sachiko.

Both parents opened the doors, and the two rivals fell out of the car, and onto their hands and knees.

Now, it should be noted here that both kids actually wanted to stand, but neither of them could. Yukari's driving had been seriously horrible this time around.

"Still alive over there, Nakamura?" Koharu asked, while she herself was still on the ground.

"I was about to ask you the same thing!" Sachiko shot back.

Kagura and Kaorin looked at the kids, then looked at each other with a giant sweat-drop.

It would be almost 10 minutes before both Koharu and Sachiko would be able to stand, and get their things out of the van.

It would be another half-hour before Nyamo's car would finally come up.

"'bout time, Nyamo! You lose!! You gotta take us all out to barbeque!!" Yukari said.

"LIKE HELL!!" Nyamo yelled.

…

Sakaki stepped out of the car, to find Joe staring out to the beach. She walked over to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder, grabbing his attention.

Sakaki hugged him, for she knew that he was still bothered by Tomo.

Joe remained silent as he tightly hugged Sakaki. Right now, he needed the support more than ever.

Sakaki smiled. One good thing about having an American husband: she didn't have to bend down for hugs. They were of almost equal height, so the hugs were warm and nice.

"Hey, Tiny!" Tomo walked up to the two who were hugging. Sakaki could actually feel Joe flinch.

"Tanaka…I'll take care of this…" Joe whispered in her ear.

Sakaki quickly kissed his cheek before walking off to get her stuff unpacked from the van.

"So, lookin' forward to the beach time?" Tomo asked Joe, displaying that wild-cat grin of hers.

"Tomo…I need to ask you a favor." Joe said.

"Oh, really now?" Tomo said in a silly kind of tone. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm already taken."

"Tomo, I'm being serious!" Joe said, turning to Tomo. "I seriously don't like it when you tease me about my problem, ok? I get it! It's small! But that doesn't mean you have to go telling everyone on the planet about it! Please, Tomo, just stop!!"

"But I like to tease!! It's fun!!" Tomo said, displaying a wildcat grin.

"Well, what if I started teasing you?!" Joe retorted back angrily.

"About what? You can't tease me about being flat anymore." Tomo said, purposefully jumping a bit so her boobs bounced up and down.

Joe glared, and looked away. He immediately spotted Koyomiko, and came up with an idea. It would be nasty, but it would at least get the point across.

"What if I started teasing you about your ex-boyfriend…and what he did to Koyomiko?" Joe asked.

Tomo's face turned from one that was having a blast to one that was in dead seriousness.

"Don't…." Tomo growled.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Joe asked, glaring.

Tomo didn't respond.

"I thought so." Joe extended his hand outwards. "Let's promise each other, Tomo. Let's keep our own personal matters exactly that. Personal."

Tomo glared at Joe for a moment, before reaching out and grabbing his hand in a forceful shake.

A moment stood still before Joe and Tomo pulled away their handshakes, and headed to the van to grab their own things.

Sakaki heavily sighed. The vacation had gone from bad to worse.

…

Author's notes: From driving crazily down the highway, to a meeting between Motoko and Iceman, to a very serious moment between Joe and Tomo. Sensitivities were touched on that one!!

So, yeah, that should bring about an end to the 'tiny' jokes, as many people were finding them to be getting old, or just didn't like them.

Thanks to Iceman for helping me out with his character's lines.

Anyway, we'll move on to the next chapter!!

Next Chapter: Beach time again!!


	121. Beach Time Again!

Beach time again!!

…

Much of the previous day involved getting unpacked, and setting up in individual rooms. Each family got their own room, with Pan sleeping with Osaka and Arata, Nyamo and Saotome sleeping together, Yukari and Fang sleeping together, and Sachiko sleeping in her own room.

Iceman also stayed, rooming up in his own room, but…

Motoko stopped in, and gave him a threat.

"If you dare do anything perverted or otherwise with the women, I'll cut your body in half."

Glancing up from his suitcase, Iceman smiled. "Why would I do anything like that?"

Motoko didn't respond, simply giving him a cold glare before leaving.

…

Arata also grabbed a duffle bag from the back of the van, and immediately headed to the fridge.

"I'm excited to see about this soda I found on the road that one day!" he said, as he unloaded the soda from the duffle bag into the fridge.

…

(The next morning)

...

Yukari would wake up, and find not Fang, but a note instead right next to her.

"Meet me in the car."

Yukari quickly got up, and headed out to the car without even getting dressed.

Moe Fang was sitting in the driver's seat with the window down.

And he was naked.

"Hey, Yukari…" Fang said with a big grin.

Yukari got in through the open window, and tossed off all of her own clothes.

"Tell me, Yukari…when you turn this vehicle on, does it return the favor?" Fang asked.

"You bet it does, Fang." Yukari replied.

Fang then inserted the key into the car, and started it up.

"Oh, yes!!" Yukari moaned.

"So it does…." Fang replied with a grin. "How about we speed up the pace?"

"You got it!!" Yukari yelled.

…

Joe was suddenly awakened by the sound of a car engine revving. He quickly got out of bed, and ran over to the nearest window.

And it seemed like everyone else had been awakened by this noise, because all the room doors at the Hinata Beach house opened, and everyone ran to that side of the building (with Sakaki having to go to one bathroom to handle her business, and Osaka going to another to throw up.)

Yukari's car sat there, rocking back and forth, the engine revving louder and louder.

"Yukari's got a weird fetish…" Iceman said.

VROOOM!! VROOOOOOOM!!

Yukari's yelling could be heard through the window. "YES!! YES!! REV THAT ENGINE!! MAKE IT LOUDER!!"

"Kinky" Tomo said with a grin.

"Kaa-san, what is she doing?" Koyomiko asked.

"Nothing, Koyomiko." Yomi replied quickly.

"OH MY GOOOOOOOOOD!!"

VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!

And with that, the car then sat there, idling quietly.

Joe sighed. "So much for getting some nice vacation sleep."

"I don't think I ever want to sit in the driver's side of that vehicle now that I know what they do in there." Saotome said.

Sakaki came out of the bathroom, and her first possible signs of second trimester began to show.

"Breakfast." She said simply.

…

Almost immediately after breakfast, in the Takino-Mizuhara room

…

"Hinata Beach House!! Gonna have some fun down on the beach!!" Koyomiko yells. "(peace sign) Yaaaaay!!"

"That's my girl!!" Tomo yells as energetically as Koyomiko.

"Would you two seriously quiet down?!" Yomi yelled back. "Not everyone needs to know about what we're doing!!"

Koyomiko then whispers.

"Hinata Beach house! Gonna have some fun down on the beach! (peace sign) Yaaaay!"

Tomo snickers.

Yomi just sighs.

…

Joe sighs heavily in front of the mirror in the bathroom.

He could tell Tomo all he wanted about Sakaki loving him no matter what….

But his beach-body, which was still none at all, always made him down.

Joe violently shook his head. No. Get that out of your mind. Hell, today, he was finally gonna have some fun. He was going to go down to the beach with his beautiful wife, and adopted daughter, Nekosa!

"Okaasan!! I don't like the water!!" He could hear Nekosa whine from the main room.

Joe walked out.

"I hate the way it makes my fur all flat!!" Nekosa continued

"You take baths, don't you?" Joe said.

"That's different, Otousan!!" Nekosa whined back. "I dry off after baths!!"

…

"Oh, yeah! My chance to prove that I'm as good a swimmer as my Natsuko-mama!!" Koharu said proudly, standing in front of a mirror, checking out herself in a swimsuit.

"And my chance to start training for the Olympics! Those are only a few months away!" Kagura said, walking in behind Koharu to check out her own one-piece swimsuit (since that is what is required at the Olympics)

"Seriously, am I the only one who's looking forward to just going to the beach to have fun?" Kaorin came out of the bathroom.

Kagura got a deeply huge blush, and her eyes went wide, as Kaorin showed off one very skimpy two-piece bikini.

Kaorin caught the stare, and giggled a bit. "I bought this a little while back… I figured I'd try something new."

"You look…sooo hot…" Kagura's nose began to drip a little bit of blood.

Kaorin giggled and blushed.

Koharu just sighed. "I don't get parents."

…

"It's been a while since ah've been on the beach." Osaka said, staring at herself in a swimsuit in the mirror. She noticed how her belly was just beginning to show, poking out ever so slightly.

Pan was also shakily looking at her new swimsuit. She wondered how Koyomiko would react to it…

Arata came out of the bathroom, wearing swim trunks. "Ready to go?"

…

The four families, now totally dressed up in their swimsuits, came walking out of the beach house, and onto the beach.

Koyomiko had on her swimsuit that had been bought at the mall. Yomi had on her two-piece bikini.

Tomo had a two piece bikini on as well, freshly purchased, green colored, and Tomo had to make everyone notice.

"Oh, yeaaah!!" Tomo cheered. She kept moving up and down, making her breasts bounce.

Sakaki, Kagura, and Kaorin's faces all turned red.

"Oh, honestly…" Joe moaned, turning away.

"Tomo…I think I speak for everyone when I say…STOP THAT!!" Yomi yelled.

"But it's fun!! And I get to show off my big breasts to everyone now!!" Tomo yelled happily.

Yomi sighed.

Koharu immediately spotted three muscular guys, headed out into the water.

Koharu got an evil, nasty grin. "Oh, yay….beach boys." And she started her walk.

"You know…" Kaorin noted. "I think Koharu is the only girl that can really say that, and have us worry more about the guys needing protection than her."

"Makes ya proud, don't it?" Kagura asked with a typical Kagura-grin.

Sachiko glared, keeping a cold, icy stare on her rival. Thus far, all she had heard about Koharu and her distaste for men, but it had never really been shown.

Sachiko slipped past all the parents, and kept her distance away from Koharu. Sachiko put her camera at the ready, waiting for Koharu to screw up.

But Koharu dove under the water a few feet away from the guys, who had now surrounded a woman with her boyfriend in the water.

…

"Hey pretty lady." One of the guys said. "Ya wanna…head out somewhere?"

"Excuse me?" The woman said, looking to the guy.

"Well, I'm sure you want to go out…probably get something to eat…then stop back at my place… for some lovin'!" The same guy said.

_Dun un._

"Hey, did you hear that?" One of the main guys' cronies asked.

"Hear what?" The main guy said.

_Dun un._

"That!" Guy 2 said.

The girl let out a loud scream. "SHARK!!"

"A shark?! Don't worry, pretty lady, I'll protect you!!" The leader yelled, taking a stance.

_Dun un. Dundundundundundun..._

"Boss…it's getting faster!" One of the cronies yelled, backing up.

"Hey, I'm not about to let a pretty lady get att-"

And the leader was suddenly dragged underwater.

There was total silence.

"B-Boss?"

KER-SPLASH!!

The boss went flying out of the water, and landed hard on the beach, kicking up sand where he landed.

"SHAAAAAAAAAAAAARK!!" The woman and the guy she was with both went running.

The other two cronies got out of the water, running to pick up their boss, then making a run for it.

Koharu put her head above the water, giving a big Kagura grin. "hehe…."

"Koharu!!" Kaorin yelled.

"Coming, Kaori-kaa-san!!" Koharu yelled, swimming back.

Sachiko couldn't have been more disappointed.

…

After sun block was applied to everyone, the swimming began.

Joe, while he was swimming close to Sakaki, suddenly stopped. His thoughts had taken hold of him… a small smile came across his face.

Sakaki, noticing, swam up to him.

"Joe?"

Joe looked up at her, his smile becoming bigger. "To think…two years ago…" he looked back towards where Chiyo's beach house had been. "I can't believe it's already been two years since our love started…"

Sakaki swam up to him, a smile crawling across her own face. She pulled him in close, and passionately kissed him.

…

Nekosa stood with the water splashing her feet.

Nekosa looked out to Sakaki and Joe, who were passionately kissing in the water.

"Bleck!" Nekosa said, sticking her tongue out.

She looked back, slowly stepping a little bit further into the water. Her tail was being kept straight up, so as to keep it dry.

She was now up to her legs.

"I hate the water…" Nekosa moaned.

BUMP!!

"AAAAAH!!" Nekosa fell face-first right into the water.

She came back up, gasping and coughing.

"Sorry, Nekosa-chan." Koyomiko said. Koyomiko was wearing safety wings, as well as not having her glasses on.

Nekosa looked at the fur on her hands. It was totally wet, making it no longer poofy. Her tail also felt rather heavy.

Nekosa's tears rivered down her face.

"My fur…" she whined.

…

Meanwhile, Sachiko sat up on the beach, when Koharu came walking up.

"Sachiko, I challenge you to a swimming contest!!"

"Heh…so you can prove you're better?" Sachiko asked, standing up.

"You bet!! On your mark, get set, go!!" And Koharu took off, swimming for her life.

Sachiko stood on the beach, giving an evil smirk before walking off.

Koharu would be far out from the beach before she realized that Sachiko wasn't swimming. She looked around to see that Sachiko wasn't even in the water. Anger and rage burned and seethed within Koharu.

"CURSE YOU, SACHIKO NAKAMURAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

Koharu would angrily swim back, and stomp right up to Sachiko, who was sitting underneath an umbrella with sunglasses on.

"What the heck was that?! I went out swimming!!" Koharu growled.

"I don't swim." Sachiko said. She then gave off an evil, nasty grin. "And I made you look like an idiot."

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!" Koharu almost dove right at Sachiko's neck, but was stopped by Kaorin.

"NO, KOHARU!! STOP IT!!" Kaorin literally had to hold on to Koharu's waist to keep her from attacking Sachiko.

"Let her go, Kaorin-san."

Koharu actually stopped, and looked to see a samurai come walking up.

"Hey…I remember you from that fight in Tokyo…" Kaorin said.

"My name is Madoka Yoshida." The girl said. "I am a friend of Rachel's, but I have come here to spar with Motoko Ayoma of the God's Cry School."

"Then you have found her." Motoko stood behind Madoka, her katana already drawn and waiting. Motoko had a small smile on her face.

"So it seems I have." Madoka said, a small grin forming on her own face. Her hand reached for her katana.

Everyone froze as Madoka suddenly jumped forward and whipped around, with Motoko jumping straight forward. Madoka's katana caught Motoko's katana against her own.

"This shall be…fun." Madoka said.

"Yes…it shall." Motoko replied.

Then the two began having fun the way only samurai's knew how… by having a sparring match.

"Heh…now THERE's two people who know how to have fun" Sachiko said, sitting up.

"You're into that samurai stuff?" Kaorin asked.

"No…I'm a fencer." Sachiko said.

"oooh…put up fences, huh?" Koharu said with a nasty grin.

Sachiko whipped her head around, giving Koharu a deep and nasty glare.

"Don't…you DARE….insult fencing like that." Sachiko growled.

Koharu remained with an evil grin while Sachiko glared.

Kaorin sighed. Even on vacation, they were at each other's throats…

…

Pan sat on the beach, drawing a face in the sand…smiling and blushing as she did…

That's when Koyomiko came right up to her.

"What'cha drawin'?" Koyomiko asked.

"Aaaaah!!" Pan quickly wiped away the face in the sand. "Nothing!! Nothing!!"

"Oh…ya wanna go swimming with me?" Koyomiko asked.

"S-swimming? W-w-with…you?!" Pan's face turned a beat red.

Koyomiko nodded, completely blind to what was happening (she was missing her glasses, after all)

"S-s-s-s-sure" Pan stuttered, standing up.

"Yay!!" Koyomiko grabbed Pan's hand, and dragged her out towards the water.

Pan couldn't breathe. Koyomiko had hold of her hand!!

…

Kagura was out in the water, swimming for her life. She was months behind on her practice for the Olympics, and she needed to catch up. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to even compete this year.

…

Osaka and Arata sat up on the beach, staring at the sky…

Then Kanji writing came into their talk…

And Yomi came walking up. "I've seen this scene before…I'm not gonna ask."

And she walked away.

Well, she would have, had Tomo, still bouncing her boobs, came walking up.

"Hi, Yomi!" Tomo said with a big smile.

"You're not gonna stop, are you?" Yomi asked.

"Nope!!" Tomo replied.

…

Yukari, Nyamo, Saotome, and Fang all sat up on the beach, watching all those swim.

"So, Nyamo, ya guys had sex yet?" Yukari asked.

"Everyone knows you guys have it often." Saotome replied, remembering this morning's little show.

"Oh, you're just jealous!" Fang shot back.

…

Not much else went on throughout the day. Everyone returned inside after their beach time, dried off, and spent some family time together.

"Nekosa…are you sure you're gonna be ok?" Joe asked.

"My fur!! It won't go down!!" Nekosa whined. She showed Joe and Sakaki her furry hands to show they were all poofed out.

"You know…it's a good thing she doesn't have full-body fur." Joe whispered to Sakaki.

And Sakaki immediately got the mental image…

…

Nekosa's whole body as a puff-ball.

"I can't put down my arms!!" Nekosa whines. And she waddles away.

…

Sakaki covered her mouth and shivered.

"Oh, sorry." Joe says upon seeing his wife shivering like that.

…

Author's notes: We all know that Yukari's car turns her on!! And I've been wanting to do that scene for a while now, just haven't had the chance to do it.

Also, I hope you guys caught the Azumanga Daioh anime reference. You should have!!

Anyway, that last part with Nekosa was part of a random chat with Jay one night.

And now I've had my good fun with everyone, but now it's time for some real evil fun (nasty grin)

Next Chapter: The Secret Soda's Return


	122. The Secret Soda's Return

The Secret Soda's Return

…

(Wednesday, July 23rd)

…

Madoka and Motoko were up early that morning. Their practicing had gotten far more intense now, both of them now using their ki to really show what they could do.

A slice by Motoko would suddenly run through Madoka's body… and Madoka would appear right behind Motoko. Motoko jumped in the air to avoid the slice, whipping around and throwing a 'Zankousan!' at Madoka.

Much destruction was caused during this practicing, but luckily, they were down at the beach, where only the sand showed battle scars. It was also rather weird that no one woke up.

After about an hour of practicing, Madoka stopped the practice.

"I am rather thirsty. I shall be back." Madoka said.

Quietly walking through the house, she made her way to the fridge.

Upon opening the fridge, she found a new kind of soda in there that she had not seen before.

"Hm…most interesting… I have never seen this kind of carbonated beverage before…" Madoka said, as she took a can out. "Well, I shall try something new, then."

Closing the fridge, she opened the soda.

…

Joe snapped awake in bed, and sat straight up. His eyes were wide.

A secret soda, which hadn't been opened in months, had been just now. And it was close.

He jumped out of the futon he and Sakaki were sharing, and ran through the house in his pajamas. They were your typical Japanese pajama's, leaving only the feet and hands bare, so he didn't have to worry about indecently exposing anything.

He ran in the direction of the soda opening…

…

"AAH!!" Madoka said happily, as she put the can into recycling. "A good carbonated beverage!!"

And with that, she left the kitchen…just as Joe rounded the corner, and came to a stop in the kitchen.

"Ok…where is it?" Joe asked.

"The bathroom is down that way."

Joe looked up to see a girl with long brown hair staring at him.

"Oh…I'm sorry, I'm not looking for the bathroom…I just heard someone open something dangerous…" Joe said.

"Dangerous? What kind of dangerous?" The woman asked.

…

Madoka returned to Motoko, who was waiting.

"Alright, then….now…we….shall….."

Madoka never fell backwards, or even passed out. It was almost as if she suddenly switched personalities.

"Go shopping!!" Her voice had suddenly become a bit more high-pitched.

"What the…?" Motoko stared at her with a 'What the hell?' look.

"Like, oh my god!!" Madoka looked at her clothes (which were the typical samurai style kimono), then over at Motoko's (which were the same). "Girl, we both so TOTALLY need a makeover."

"Excuse me?" Motoko asked in total confusion.

Madoka suddenly grabbed Motoko's arm. "C'mon!! We're going to the mall!! Maybe we'll even see a few cute boys while we're there!!"

"W-wait... I don't think…GAH!!" and Motoko was dragged by Madoka to the vehicles sitting out front.

…

"That kind of dangerous!!" Joe said to Naru, having just finished his speech on his secret soda.

"Oh my god….where does the soda get it's power?!" Naru asked.

Naru wouldn't get her answer, for a car was suddenly heard starting up.

Joe and Naru ran to the window… and saw Iceman's car getting hijacked.

"Oh….crap!!" Joe began to panic.

…

Eric was sleeping soundly in his futon, enjoying his dreams of women dancing….

"ICEMAN!! YOUR CAR IS BEING STOLEN!!" Joe yelled.

"WHAT?!" Eric was awake in an instant. In less than a few seconds, Eric bolted from his room, fully dressed and ready to kick the butt of whoever touched his car. "WHERE?!"

Too late. Looking through the window, he could see the car do a one-eighty outside before tearing off in the direction of town.

Joe quickly ran to his room, and quickly threw on some pants and a t-shirt. He knew he'd have to help bring back whoever stole Iceman's car.

Eric ran through the house, took the keys right out of Yukari's room without waking them, and ran out of the house.

"Wait!! I'm coming with!!" Joe yelled, following Eric close behind. He paused for a moment outside of Yukari's vehicle before getting in.

"J-Just…don't drive like her…please. I've been scarred enough as it is."

Eric started up Yukari's vehicle.

…

This caused Yukari to wake up. Yawning, she noticed that Fang was still next to her, sound asleep. She also noticed her keys were gone.

She jumped out of bed, and ran to the window just in time to see her car tear off towards town.

"OH, LIKE HELL I'M GONNA LET THAT GO!!" Yukari's eyes burned death as she grabbed Nyamo's keys from her room, ran out without even bothering to change out of her nightgown, and tore towards town in Nyamo's vehicle.

…

"Yukari drives insane; barely in control," Eric said, tearing out of the lot, the car's motor whining loudly as he shifted at exactly the right moments.

_For an import, rather, a Civic, it handles quite well. The mechanics who had worked on it did a good job_, Eric noted.

"I, on the other hand, am always in control. You saw the way here, right?" Eric said, following the BMW around a corner, the back end of the civic drifting out a bit. It was only because of momentum, since the car was front wheel drive.

"Uh...no, actually... Seta was driving just as bad...so...I was re-living my moment with Yukari." Joe replied, hanging on to his seats for dear life.

The BMW stopped at a stop-sign ahead.

"Well, you don't need to worry, I'm a professional," Eric said, as he screeched to a halt beside his beloved BMW. He rolled down the window, and tried to get a good look at who was driving it.

"Hi, guys!!" Madoka waved from the driver's seat with a happy smile on her face. "Care to race to the mall?"

"Stop this madwoman!!" Motoko cries from the passenger seat.

"Oh, hell no!! You and I are both going to the mall to get a makeover. We SO need one!!" Madoka said.

And Madoka tore off again.

"Madoka?!" Eric stared in disbelief. With Motoko with her? "Uh... Right..." Eric was seriously stuck for words.

However, as she tore off again in his BMW, his senses kicked back in, and he shifted into gear after them. "This is too weird..."

"Hey!! Give me back my frickin' car!!" Eric turned around to see Yukari, tailing in Nyamo's vehicle. And she looks ticked.

"Damnit, now this?" Eric seethed. He glanced in my rear-view mirror to see how far back Yukari was. When he looked back down, Madoka had screamed through a red light, and he was going too fast to stop. What's worse was that there were cars coming from both directions. Griping the wheel tightly, but not too tightly, he brought a hand down to the shifter.

"ICEMAN!!" Joe yelled.

As Eric and Joe entered the intersection, Eric tapped the breaks, downshifted, and swerved left to avoid the first car. Then, he swung the wheel hard to the right, stepping on the gas as he dodged the second car from the other direction. Now safe from the traffic, he could relax a little, until the car's weight completed its delayed movement.

The car swung sideways, more than Eric had expected since he was used to his lighter, more agile BMW. He quickly shifted into reverse, and pulled hard on the wheel, as the car completed it's half turn. Then... they were stable. And driving backwards at high speed. Once Eric was sure we weren't going to smash into anything, he stuck his head out of the window.

"Yukari! You can have your car back later! I'm busy!" Then, he spun the wheel to the right, and shifted into neutral as the car pivoted on its rear wheels. Once he and Joe were facing the right way again, he shifted back up and hit the accelerator, adding a touch of nitrous to get himself back up to speed. Eric chuckled, feeling giddy as he gained on the BMW. It was a good thing Madoka wasn't that experienced of a driver...

"WHAT THE HELL?! I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T DRIVE LIKE YUKARI!! THAT WAS WAAAAY WORSE THAN YUKARI!!" Joe yelled.

"I'm in complete control," Eric said, picking up speed. "The ride might be more intense, but you're as safe as can be. So, try and enjoy it while you can, it's not like I do this ALL the time,"

Eric grinned at the last part.

Already he was beginning to pull up alongside his BMW. Once he was alongside with it, he looked to Madoka, and made a cutting motion at his throat, trying to tell her to stop.

Madoka looks onward.

"I think he's trying to tell you to stop." Motoko said from the passenger's seat, trying her hardest to keep her cool.

"Like, no!! We're almost there!!" And Madoka gassed it.

Sighing, Eric shook his head. As the two raced head to head, Eric saw the mall coming up ahead, as well as the sharp turn into the parking lot. Madoka was going far too fast, and Eric didn't expect her to stop anytime soon, which led him to believe she didn't know about the sharp turn-in.

With a touch of Nitro, Eric pulled ahead and swerved in front of her. Then, he tapped the brakes once, before applying them slowly, to get Madoka to slow herself down.

Madoka instead quickly swerved around the car, and then did an unbelievably sharp turn right into the parking lot.

Eric must've forgotten about the BMW's superior handling, having been thinking about driving the Civic. Gritting his teeth, he downshifted, and drifted around the turn, the rear bumper lightly scraping the wall.

…

Motoko seems positively frightened as Madoka pulls into a parking spot.

"Well, here we are!! Let's go, girl!!" and Madoka dragged Motoko out of the car, and into the mall.

…

Eric immediately pulled up into his own parking spot, and jumped out to get to his vehicle.

He was stopped by Nyamo's car, and jumping out of the passenger's seat was an angry-looking Yukari.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING IN MY CAR?!" Yukari yells at Eric.

Eric got out of the Civic, and ignoring Yukari, ran over to his BMW to inspect it. Thankfully, there were no scratches or dings caused by this misadventure. He let out a relieved sigh, before turning to Yukari.

"I would have thought that was obvious, Yukari. I was merely using it to chase down my own car." Eric replied semi-calmly.

Joe, shaking from the whole ordeal, still gets out, and trails far behind Madoka and Motoko into the mall, having a tough time with his heart beating at about a million beats per minute.

…

Upon entering the mall, Joe immediately noticed that this was going to be rather tough. The mall was jam-packed with people.

Immediately, however, an even bigger worry came up to him.

"Ah, Joe-san!!" Rachel yelled, walking up to him. Her daughter, Ami, was right beside her. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh…I'm…looking for Madoka." Joe responded in a slightly worried tone.

"Oh? And what's Madoka doing here? I though she was with you…" Rachel replied.

"She was, but um…" Joe stopped, and tried to think of a viable excuse as to why Madoka would be out here. "Um…"

"Thanks" Madoka's high-pitched voice came out of a store.

"There she is!!" Joe ran past Rachel and Ami, running to the store. "Oh…my…"

Rachel and Ami walked up, and were stunned totally silent.

Madoka came walking out with a very skimpy bra top that left little to the imagination, along with super tight jean-shorts, where one good sneeze would completely expose Madoka's whole body.

Motoko came out in the same outfit, though she was madly blushing, and trying to cover her breasts by wrapping her arms around them.

"RACHEL!! Hi, girlfriend!!" Madoka said in a high pitched tone.

In an instant, Rachel grabbed Joe's collar with one hand, and hoisted him into the air.

"What did you do to Madoka?!" Rachel growled.

"I didn't do anything!! She must have drank my secret soda!!" Joe yelled from the air.

"Well, if you know what she did, then you can fix it!!" Rachel growled even louder.

"The effects…will wear off…I swear it!!" Joe cried from the air.

Rachel dropped him, and Joe panted heavily.

"What I want to know is…where did she get the money for those clothes?" Joe asked.

Rachel's eyes suddenly went wide. "My emergency credit card!!"

"Huh?" Joe asked.

"I gave Madoka a credit card to use only in cases of emergencies where she needed money!" Rachel said. "Oh my god, she's gonna charge it all!!"

Rachel looked back to see Madoka and Motoko gone.

"OH NO!!" Rachel said, running off in a panic with Ami.

_What's worse is Madoka seems to have the mind of an American Teenager…_ Joe thought.

_And to have a credit card like that…total chaos._

…

Rachel and Ami ran through the mall…though it was mostly Rachel dragging Ami along.

Rachel spotted Madoka walk into another store.

"Found her!!" Rachel darted off in the direction of the store.

She jumped into the store, and grabbed hold of Madoka.

"I've got you, Madoka!!" Rachel yelled.

"Who the hell is Madoka?" The woman asked turning around. It was so totally NOT Madoka.

"Oh…sorry." Rachel said. She quickly scanned the store with her eyes before darting back out.

…

Madoka came walking out of a store, Motoko trailing shamefully behind. Both of them now had on lipstick and eye shadow, making the air itself sparkle around them. Even their fingernails and toenails were now painted pink.

"Madoka-san…why are we shaming ourselves like this?" Motoko asked.

"Girl, you need to get out more!" Madoka replied. Then she noticed three guys standing there, talking to each other. "Oh, check it out!! A coupla cute hunks over there!!" And Madoka was dragging Madoka again.

Madoka and Motoko went up to three guys.

"Hey, boys." Madoka said, putting her hands on her hips and doing a sexy strut over towards them. "How'd you like to set out with me and my girlfriend here for some real fun on the town?!"

"Oh, hell yes!! My old girlfriend just dumped me because she said I didn't snuggle her enough!" One guy said. He had black hair and brown eyes, the typical Japanese guy.

"Perfect!! You'll do!" Madoka said, wrapping her arms around the guy's one arm.

"Madoka-san!! Wait!!" Joe yelled, coming right up to them.

"Oh, hey, Joe!! What are you doing here?" Madoka asked happily.

Joe immediately noted that Madoka's tone of voice was still high pitched. The soda was still in effect.

It amazed Joe that the soda effect had gone on for this long… most of the other people's effects had worn off by now…

Joe had to guess that it was probably Madoka's metabolism. The training she had done as a samurai surely must have slowed it down by quite a bit.

"Madoka-san, seriously, don't do this!! If you do, Rachel's gonna kill me!!" Joe remarked.

"Too late."

Joe's whole body shivered. Rachel's voice had come from right behind him.

Joe's head slowly turned. "H-Hi, R-Rachel."

Rachel grabbed both his shoulders. "Give me back my Madoka."

"I don't know how!! The soda effects take time to wear off!!"

CRACK!!

Joe couldn't scream. He could feel his shoulders crack from Rachel's grasp.

"Owie" Ami winced.

"Change…my Madoka…back!!" Rachel growled.

"Ah…I…can't…" Joe got out in barely a whisper. His mouth was wide open in pain.

"Girlfriend, you got some serious anger issues." Madoka commented.

"RAAAAAAAAAH!!" Rachel pushed Joe into the guy that Madoka was holding on to. Joe hit his body, and knocked the guy over, along with Madoka, who never saw it coming.

"Ah!! Madoka!!" Rachel ran to Madoka's side.

Madoka lifted herself up. "Ow…Rachel? What is going on?" Madoka's tone was back to normal.

"Madoka!!" Rachel hugged Madoka tightly, causing Madoka to blush slightly.

"Um…Rachel…this is…rather awkward…especially in a public place." Madoka commented.

"Oh, right, sorry." Rachel pulled back, and stood up. She extended a hand to Madoka, and helped her up.

"What happened?" Madoka asked. "And why do I feel so uncomfortable?" She looked down at herself to see her rather skimpy clothing. "GAH!!" She quickly covered herself. "This is…most disgraceful."

"I'm glad you're back to normal." Motoko came walking up behind Madoka, carrying Madoka's kimono. Motoko was already dressed in her own. "I think it's best we head back to the Beach House, and cleanse our mind and bodies of today's events."

"I agree." Madoka replied, taking the kimono, and quickly wrapping it around her body.

"Ow…owowowowow…" Joe moaned, standing up, and cracking his shoulders.

"Hey…" The boy said, standing up.

"Yes?" Joe asked, turning his face towards the guy.

WHAM!!

…

Rachel, Ami, Motoko, and Madoka all left the mall, with Joe trailing behind, holding his left eye with his hand.

It was apparent that Iceman and Yukari were gone, as were there cars. Joe took the drivers seat of Nyamo's vehicle, while Motoko and Madoka waved farewell to Ami and Rachel, and got in the back.

Joe started up the vehicle. He tested for the gas and brake while in park, and found them to be in the same position as in America (gas on the right, brake on the left) for which he was thankful for.

He went to turn on his blinker… and the windshield wipers started going.

"Oh…so that's what's also different…" he muttered to himself.

"I also suggest we get some ice on that black eye." Motoko said to him.

"I agree." Joe said, pulling out of the parking lot in Nyamo's vehicle.

It was rather awkward the whole way back to the beach house for Joe to be driving on the left hand side.

…

Author's notes: so, that's another person's secret soda effect, this time for Anime Rebirth's Madoka!!

The secret soda should come with a warning: May cause OOC moments XD

Next Chapter: The Loved Daughter who Hated


	123. The Loved Daughter who Hated

The Loved Daughter Who Hated

…

Joe would return back to the beach house with Madoka and Motoko. Immediately, Joe spotted Nyamo, and she looked ticked.

"Oh…crap…" Joe grumbled as he pulled up. He stepped out of the car, as did the two samurai.

"What in the world did you think you were doing?" Nyamo asked. Joe could immediately tell from her tone of voice that a responsibility speech was coming.

"Forgive him, Kurosawa-san." Madoka immediately said. "It is my fault that your car was taken."

"And you cannot blame Madoka for this whole ordeal." Motoko said after that. "Madoka-san was not herself when this all happened."

"What in the world do you mean?" Nyamo asked.

Motoko and Madoka, both blushing madly and full of shame, showed Nyamo their pink fingernails.

"HOLY CRAP!!" Nyamo yelled, jumping back a bit in surprise.

"You…wouldn't happen to have anything that could take this off, could you?" Madoka asked.

"U-um…I…think I may have some fingernail polish remover…" Nyamo said. She looked more closely at Joe, who had a hand over his eye. "And…let me guess…you got slugged hard?"

Joe, also shame-ridden, pulled his hand away from his eye for about a second to show Nyamo his black eye, then immediately covered it back up.

Nyamo sighed. "I guess that's punishment enough…why don't you go get an icepack inside?"

"Thank you, Kurosawa-san." Joe said, walking inside. As he passed Nyamo, he held out her keys, which Nyamo immediately took.

The two samurai would also follow Nyamo inside for some nail polish remover.

…

"Good morning, Otousan!!" Nekosa said happily. "Why are you covering your eye?"

"Oh…just something that happened to me this morning…" Joe replied.

At that exact moment, Sakaki stepped out of the bathroom…and she looked ticked.

_Uh…oh_ Joe thought.

Sakaki immediately went straight up to him, forcefully grabbed his wrist, and pulled his hand down, revealing his big, black eye.

"I woke up this morning…and you were gone…WITH NOTHING TO TELL ME WHERE YOU WERE!!" Sakaki yelled.

"I'm sorry, Tanaka…Madoka drank some of my secret soda…and I wasn't sure where she had gotten it…"

Then, Sakaki's eyes immediately watered up, and tears fell down her face as she began to cry. "How…how was I supposed to know? I was so worried…and then you come home with this black eye…"

It was then that Joe blinked his good eye in a bit of confusion.

In almost an instant, Sakaki stopped crying, and looked at the eye. "We need to get some ice on this!!"

And she ran past Joe to get to the freezer.

Nekosa seemed just as confused as Joe was.

"Um…Otousan…why was Okaasan mad, then sad, then worried?" Nekosa asked.

"Um…mood swings…I guess." Joe replied, tilting his head a bit.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

Joe whipped around to see Osaka walk out of the other bathroom that was available.

"Osaka? You ok?" Joe asked.

"I'M SICK AND TIRED OF THROWING UP!!" Osaka yelled angrily.

Suddenly, big smiles. "But now it's over for the day!! And I'm wide awake!!"

And Osaka skipped…yes, skipped…down the hallway happily.

Both Joe and Nekosa looked at each other.

"Mood swings?" Nekosa asked.

"Um…yeah. We'll go with that…" Joe replied.

Finally, Sakaki came back with the ice.

…

The rest of the day was kind of normal, though both Sakaki and Osaka kept randomly changing moods throughout the day. What also worried Joe was how Sakaki had been found eating…after having a big breakfast, a huge lunch, and an even bigger dinner. She almost always seemed hungry.

Tomo still couldn't get over the fact that her boobs were huge. Joe guessed that because she had been the last to get pregnant, she would be the last to not only give birth, but to also be the last to hit the 'extreme' side-effects of pregnancy.

But finally, the day came to an end. As Joe climbed into bed, he couldn't help but notice that Sakaki's stomach was beginning to poke out a bit.

Joe wondered…was it the eating that had caused that poking? Or…was it possibly because she was finally beginning to show the baby inside her?

Sakaki quickly fell asleep next to him.

Joe smiled, and pulled her in close. He was going to be a father his own child soon….

…

In the Aida-Kagura room, very early the next morning

…

Koharu's face became one that looked like it was in pain…she was having a nightmare…

…

(Koharu's nightmare)

…

She was back there…back within Center Tokyo…

Kazu used the stun-gun to stun her again, while Rei kicked her, causing her to fall back onto the ground…

She could hear the two of them laughing…

Koharu tried to stand up, only to be kicked over again…

Only this time, Sachiko had kicked her over.

"You're pathetic." Sachiko said. And she whipped out the stun gun, and sent it straight into Koharu's gut.

…

"GAH!!" Koharu sat straight up, panting heavily. She looked to her left to see Kagura still sleeping, and to her right was Kaorin, doing the same.

Koharu tried lying back down to go to sleep, but it just wouldn't come to her.

So, after about a half-hour of trying, she got up, and walked out of the room, and out of the house and down to the beginning of the beach.

Koharu stared out at the water… The moon, only half full, shown on the water…

That day, when she, Koharu Aida-Kagura, had been tortured, was one of the worst losses she had ever suffered…

But she hated Sachiko with a passion… but she couldn't challenge her rival to a swimming contest… Sachiko said she didn't swim; she was more of a fencer…

As Koharu thought to herself, something caught her eye.

A lone figure… a girl, probably about middle school age, was walking on the beach all by her lonesome… and she was staring at the ground…

Koharu thought she saw a tear fall to the sand and immediately get washed away.

The girl then sat down, curled up, and began to cry.

Koharu's immediate instinct was to go down and to talk to this crying girl. Seeing no one else around, she started a slow walk towards the figure.

As Koharu got closer, the moon's light shown upon the girl. She had long, black hair that ran all the way down her back, with her build being very skinny.

Koharu was now within reaching distance of the girl. "Hey, there."

The girl jumped back at the sound of Koharu's voice. From what Koharu could see, the girl was still dressed in her pajamas.

"Why were you crying?" Koharu asked.

The girl's eyes looked away for a moment, before she turned and ran.

"Hey, wait!!" Koharu started running after her. After getting quite a ways down the beach, Koharu's athleticism helped her catch up to the running middle-schooler, and grabbed hold of her arm to stop her.

"Hey, why are you running?" Koharu asked.

"Let me go!!" The little girl screamed.

"Not until you tell me why you were running!!" Koharu yelled back.

"I said let go!!" The girl tried pulling her arm out of Koharu's grip.

And Koharu, acting on pure instinct alone, turned around, and flipped the girl over.

It almost hurt Koharu emotionally to have to do that to a girl…that was made for guys and guys alone…

A few seconds passed, and the girl began crying again.

Koharu let go of her wrist, and the girl sat up, and curled up again to cry into her knees.

Koharu walked to the side of the girl, and placed one comforting hand on the girls shoulder.

"I'm sorry if that hurt you…" Koharu said sincerely. "I just want to know why you were crying…"

The girl slapped Koharu's hand away from her shoulder. "Go away!! I don't need the help of a six-year-old girl!!"

"Hey, I'm seven!!" Koharu retorted.

"Whatever! Just get away from me!!" And the girl turned her body away from Koharu, and began crying into her knees again.

Koharu felt angry… almost like she did the first time she met Sachiko… here she is, trying to help this little girl, and she just keeps pushing her away.

Koharu grabbed the girls back.

"Hey, I told you to…AAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

Koharu lifted the girl up with her two arms, and held her above her head.

"Tell me why you were crying, or I'll throw you into the water!!" Koharu yelled.

"Do it!! It'd be better than the life I have now!!" The girl screamed back.

Koharu instead dropped her back into the sand. Koharu then grabbed the girl's pajama collar, and lifted her up, so they were eye to eye.

"What is wrong with you?! Why are you crying?! There is a reason anyone cries, and I hate it when someone does, and I can't help them out!!" Koharu yelled.

Now the girl reminded her of Pan… Pan had never told Koharu about her dreams until she had protected her.

The girls face hardened as she looked angrier and angrier, the tears flowing even faster down her face.

"My father, ok?! I hate my dad!! There, I said it, now leave me alone!!" The girl tried to break Koharu's grip, but couldn't do it.

"Why do you hate your dad?! What did your dad do that makes you hate him?! I can help you with it!!" Koharu yelled.

A light suddenly came on. Koharu realized that it was a different beach house from the one she was staying at, further down the beach.

Koharu let the girl go, and searched for cover. Realizing that there was no cover, Koharu did the only thing she could think to do, and ran for the water.

It was freezing cold. Koharu shivered, but got just deep enough so she was well-hidden from plain sight. She was in the water up to her mouth, so her nose would allow her to breathe, and she would be able to see what was going on.

A man came walking down, a flashlight in hand, down to the beach. The flashlight's light made it impossible for Koharu to see the man's face.

"Oh, my sweet Kaori…what are you doing down here on the beach?" The man asked.

Koharu almost gave away her position when she suddenly took in a big gulp of water from her mouth. That girl's name was Kaori?!

"I'm fine, Dad!! I was out here for some fresh air!!" Kaori yelled angrily before she turned and stomped into the beach house.

The flashlight of the dad followed his daughter back into the house. Koharu heard the man sigh.

"Why does she hate me?" The man asked.

Then the man turned. The moon's light allowed Koharu to see the man's face. Koharu gagged again, and dove under head under the water, because she was sure she had given her position away.

She had gagged…because she had seen the face of Kimura.

That girl…was Kimura's daughter?! And she had the same name as her mother?!

Koharu almost felt sick inside.

Koharu slowly peeked back up from the water, and saw the man walking inside. She walked back onto the beach, completely soaked. Her pajamas, which she had never bothered to take off, were also wet.

She quickly crossed her arms, and shivered from the cold. A light came on from the beach house, and Kaori walked out onto a small deck that the beach house had.

"You wonder…why I hate my father?" Kaori asked. Her glare was cold, and hard. "Because he's a pervert. A damn pervert. Everyone, EVERYONE…teases me at the middle school I go to. The guys…ask if I'm going to like high school girls when I get there…"

Tears began falling from Kaori's eyes again as she angrily talked. "I don't even have any friends, because the girls are all afraid that my father might do something to them if they become friends with me, or maybe that I'll do something to them when we reach high school…even the teachers…rarely speak to me…"

Kaori closed her eyes as the tears flowed from her eyes.

"Just once…I'd like to have a friend…someone who won't prejudge me for my father's obsessions!!"

And with that, Kaori turned back into the beach house, and slammed the door shut.

Koharu could almost hear Kaori crying, as she began her slow walk back to her own beach house.

…

Koharu's walk was slow…despite her being freezing cold from having her clothes soaking wet, her mind was elsewhere…to be the daughter of Kimura was one thing…but to know about his perverted tendencies, and be harmed by it…Koharu almost wondered if that girl could ever actually grow up normally.

The sun began to rise, and Koharu immediately snapped out of it.

"Uh…oh." The only thing on Koharu's mind was how angry her Kaori-kaa-san was going to be.

Koharu began running as fast as she could towards the beach house…only to suddenly come across Kaorin, who had been running down the beach in the opposite direction.

"Oh, Koharu!!" Kaorin ran up to her and gave her a hug. "I was so wor…"

Kaorin stopped, and pulled back. Feeling Koharu's pajamas, which were soaking wet.

"Koharu…what were you doing?" Kaorin's face began to turn rather harsh.

"U-um…u-uh…I-I…" Koharu began stuttering.

Koharu feared only two things in this world: The dentist, and her Kaori-kaa-san's wrath.

"You…were out swimming…in the middle of the night…and here I WAS WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU!! KOHARU AIDA-KAGURA, DO YOU NOT HAVE A BRAIN?!"

Koharu began shaking. Kaorin was mad now.

Kaorin grabbed Koharu by the collar, and pulled her all the way back to the beach house.

Kagura had gotten up, and was just about ready to set out.

"Oh, you found her!!" Kagura said happily.

"She was out swimming!!" Kaorin growled.

Kagura quickly stepped aside, and let Kaorin go right into the beach house. Even Kagura knew not to mess with Kaorin when she was this mad.

…

The manager of the beach house, Keitaro, a brown-haired guy with glasses, was cleaning the floor, when Kaorin came stomping up to him.

"Hold it right there!!" Kaorin yelled.

"Huh?" Keitaro asked, confused.

Kaorin pushed the still-soaking-wet Koharu forward. "My daughter here is volunteering for all chores that need to be done today. And she is NOT to go down to the beach."

"But Kaori-kaa-san, I couldn't sleep!!" Koharu tried protesting.

"YOU STILL DON'T GO SWIMMING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IN YOUR PAJAMAS!!" Kaorin's yelling woke just about everyone in the beach house up.

Keitaro could feel even himself shiver at Kaorin's yelling.

"You will go change into some work clothes, and you will do chores in this house for the rest of the day, am I understood?!" Kaorin yelled.

"Y-yes…Kaori-kaa-san…" Koharu said. Her shame was shown on her face.

Koharu walked past Kaorin to their room to change.

"Um…I really don't need any help…I'm fine…" Keitaro tried.

Kaorin's glare whipped right at Keitaro, sending fear straight to his heart.

"Y-yes, maim…all chores…got it…" Keitaro stuttered, shaking heavily.

At that moment, Koharu came walking back out, wearing shorts and a t-shirt, perfect clothes for chore duty.

Sachiko came walking out of her room. Kaorin's glare immediately went to her.

"And if you dare tease or laugh or in any way aggravate my daughter while she is on chore duty, you'll be joining her." Kaorin growled.

Sachiko gulped. Kaorin again reminded her of her own mother when she was in a punishing mood.

"Y-Yes maim." Sachiko said.

Kaorin then turned around, and headed out of the beach house.

Sachiko looked at Koharu. Dare not even thinking twice, Sachiko quickly returned to her own room for fear of aggravating Kaorin.

Keitaro looked sadly at the shame-ridden Koharu as she went over, kneeled down, and resumed doing the chore that Keitaro had originally started.

"Let me just say…I feel sorry for you." Keitaro said.

Koharu didn't respond. The punishment had been dealt. Her mind had instead wondered back…

…back to Kaori Kimura…who was probably crying in her room right now.

…

Author's notes: This was actually brought about in a thought I had once: Kimura had a daughter from the anime, but we never really knew what would happen once she hit schools that knew her father…that's where this chapter came in.

Sadly, I think not many people were initially interested in seeing this chapter, as the Kimura's are often overlooked in the fandom.

I hope you enjoyed it anyway!!

Next Chapter: No Secrets from Sisters, and Returning home


	124. No Secrets from Sisters, Return home

No Secrets from Sisters, and Returning Home

…

Keitaro, at the request of a still-angry Kaorin, wrote up a chore list, which then Kaorin immediately handed to Koharu.

Koharu just sighed, and continued, hanging her head in shame.

Sachiko remained as far away from everything as possible. Hell, even taking a picture of Koharu doing chores was out of the question, for she could tell that Kaorin was probably watching Koharu to make sure that she did chores…

And Koharu, well, her mind was still on Kaori Kimura while she did her chores.

The families were all headed out to the beach again, each and every person asking why Koharu was cleaning during summer vacation.

Their answer would usually come from one angry Kaorin, for which they wouldn't ask any further, and continue on to the beach.

Pan woke up that morning, and got dressed. Looking in the mirror, she blushed and smiled at herself. Her life was so good…

As she exited the room, however, she saw Koharu enter the bathroom with some cleaners.

Pan slowly walked up to the bathroom, and peeked her head inside. "Koharu…wh-why are you cleaning the bathroom? Shouldn't you be on summer vacation?"

"Pan…" Koharu turned. If there was anyone she could trust with the information of Kaori Kimura, it would be Pan. "C'mere."

Pan walked up, and knelt down next to Koharu while she scrubbed the outside of the toilet with a toothbrush.

"Pan…last night, I couldn't sleep. I had a random nightmare that kept me awake…" Koharu whispered, hoping that her Kaori-kaa-san wouldn't hear. "So I went for a walk…and I met this girl…"

"A girl?" Pan whispered back.

"Yes…a girl…the daughter of Kimura." Koharu whispered.

"Who's Kimura?" Pan asked.

"A perverted guy who my Kaori-kaa-san says has an obsession with high school girls…" Koharu whispered.

"Ew" Pan responded.

"Yeah…but his daughter hates him for it. She can't make any friends because everyone knows of his obsession." Koharu continued to whisper.

The two of them heard footsteps. Pan jumped up against the wall, and Kaorin came into view.

Koharu continued her cleaning of the toilet, acting as if Pan wasn't even there. Kaorin waited for a moment, before walking away.

Pan started to move, but Koharu signaled to stay there. Koharu knew that Kaorin would be waiting just a bit further down to see if Koharu was talking to anyone.

A moment passed, then Koharu let out a breath, before putting her hand down, and nodding to Pan, signaling it was safe.

Pan crawled back to her knees next to Koharu.

"So, yeah. I talked to her last night…she's so sad…and angry. I almost got caught, so I dove into the water without thinking. I got my pajamas all wet, and made my Kaori-kaa-san worry. And that's why I'm doing this." Koharu finished, continuing her cleaning of the toilet.

Pan just continued to listen, taking in all the information. "That has to be a hard life…"

"It is…" Koharu said, finally finished. "She cries a lot."

Koharu placed the toothbrush in the bucket of cleaning fluid, and took off her gloves that had been given to her.

She then took a big deep breath, let it out, then looked to Pan with a smile. "Thanks, Pan. I needed someone to talk to."

Pan gave Koharu a sincere smile, and held out her pinky.

Koharu pinky-locked with Pan. Then the two hugged.

Pan then left Koharu to do the rest of her chores.

And Koharu's mind was eased a bit, now that she had someone to talk to…

"Heh…sisters…it's so nice." Koharu said to herself, doing her chores with a bit more energized vigor.

…

Koharu continued her chores throughout the day, and finally had them all completed by dinnertime. She wouldn't get her beach time that day, but at least she'd get it tomorrow. And she was dead-beat tired today.

So, immediately after dinner, she headed to her room, where she fell onto the bed, and fell asleep.

However, her mind, for no explainable reason, woke her up at about the same time she had the previous night.

Deciding to once again challenge the wrath of her Kaori-kaa-san, Koharu headed out to the beach. But Kaori Kimura would not show herself that night.

…

"Yay!! More beach time!!" Koyomiko screamed, as she headed out into the water again, dragging Sachiko with her this time.

Pan and Koharu sat far away from the rest of the group on the beach that day. Koharu noticed Pan blushing. Koharu followed Pan's gaze to the swimming Koyomiko.

"Hey, Pan, why are you staring at Koyomiko?" Koharu asked.

Pan's blush became bigger.

"U-um…I-I…don't know…" Pan replied.

Koharu looked at Pan like she didn't believe her. Pan took a deep breath, and let it out.

"I…really don't know, Koharu." Pan replied. "Just…when I watch Koyomiko…I get a warm, fuzzy feeling inside…and…when she gets near me…I can't breathe…for some reason…"

"Hm…" Koharu's mind tried to find an answer, but couldn't. After all, she was only 7. The meaning of what Pan had just told her was not revealed to her yet.

"What about you, Koharu? Why do you hate Sachiko-san so much?" Pan asked.

Koharu glared in Sachiko's direction. She looked like she was being tortured, the way her face read every time Koyomiko playfully splashed her.

"I guess it's because she's a total grump." Koharu began. "The first time I met her, she acted like a total grouch, and completely insulted me. After the fight was over, neither of us had really won…so I guess we just became hated rivals after that."

Pan looked at Sachiko. Yeah, she was a grouch…but Pan wondered why…

"And I still hate her…I challenged her to a swimming contest, and she chickened out, but still managed to make ME look like the idiot!" Koharu's fists clenched.

It immediately made Pan…sad…when Koharu got angry. She almost felt at fault.

"I'm sorry…" Pan said in a downed tone.

It almost calmed Koharu down instantly. "It's not your fault, Pan. Please don't be sad… I don't like it when you're sad."

"I…can't help it" Pan replied, still in a bit of a down tone. "Even…with my first parents…I would sometimes get this way…for no reason…I just…can't explain it…"

Koharu turned, and gave Pan a hug. "Just remember…I'm here for you…if you EVER need me."

Pan smiled a bit. "As am I for you…Koharu."

Kaorin watched the two sisters hug.

"Now doesn't that just melt your heart…" she murmured to herself with a smile.

Suddenly, a cry came from the beach house that made everyone flinch.

"SAKE!!" Yukari cried.

"Dammit all." Joe grumbled.

"Who would have Sake out here?" Osaka asked.

"I bet I know…it'd be that one girl we saw the first time here…" Tomo replied.

"Oh…the girl with the Osakian accent." Joe remarked. He could remember her, if only vaguely.

…

That night would be hell. Kitsune, Yukari, and Fang would end up 'passed out on the floor' drunk, with the booze reeking throughout the whole place. It made Osaka throw up.

The next morning would also be hell, as Yukari would be grumpy as hell with her hangover.

...

The rest of the summer trip was rather…uneventful. Madoka and Motoko spent most of their time practicing against each other. It reminded Joe to check the fridge for his soda, only to find that it was already gone.

"Crap...my soda is still on the loose somewhere..." Joe mumbled to himself, slamming the fridge shut.

Koharu would wake up every night, and watch for Kaori Kimura, but no such luck would come.

Sakaki's and Osaka's mood swings continued throughout it, along with Sakaki feeling the need to eat absolutely everything. She didn't have a specific craving, she craved EVERYTHING.

But the very final morning, when they were supposed to wake up that morning to go, something quite eventful happened.

Arata woke up, and was still very sleepy. Still, he remembered that everyone had to leave that morning, so he instead got up, and headed out.

"Arata? Whereya goin'?" Osaka asked.

"I wanna go wake up Yukari-san…" Arata replied dreamily.

"Kay…" And Osaka fell back asleep.

Arata walked out. A few moments later, Chiyo came walking in.

"Osaka-san?" Chiyo asked. "Pan-chan? Um…where's Arata-san?"

Osaka sat up in bed, that still-sleepy-smile on her face. "He said he was gonna go wake up Yukari-sensei."

Chiyo's eyes went extremely wide.

…

Yukari remained sound asleep in her room. The door creaked open, with Arata standing there.

Yukari sat up, and immediately was wide awake…for if Arata was like Osaka…Yukari's memories of Osaka still remained…

Yukari immediately jumped out of bed.

"Oh…you're awake…" Arata said. "I was gonna try ta wake you up with this frying pan." He held up the frying pan in his right hand.

"Oh…thank god…" Yukari said, breathing heavily. She then got an angry look on her face. "And how were you gonna wake me up with that frying pan?! Hit me over the head?!"

"Nah…" Arata said, still smiling. "I was gonna use this."

BUTCHER KNIFE!!

Yukari froze solid. In Arata's left had was a butcher's knife.

A frickin' butcher's knife!! A butcher's knife that isn't used for stabbing, but rather cutting up into little tiny pieces!!

"Guess I failed though…" Arata replied, walking out.

"AAAH!! Arata-san, why is a butcher's knife in your hand?!" Chiyo yelled.

"Oh…this isn't a spatula…" Arata pondered.

"AAAAH!! DON'T SWING THAT AROUND, ARATA!!" Shaun yelled.

"I…am gonna live as far away as I can from those two…" Yukari mumbled in a frozen stupor.

…

But finally, the group packed up their belongings, thanked everyone for letting them stay, and packed into the cars.

For safety reasons this time, Saotome would drive Nyamo's vehicle, and Fang would drive Yukari's vehicle, though he was asked NOT to race.

As for Iceman, he had to say farewell to one girl in particular.

"Motoko!" Eric called out, running over to the woman. Unfortunately, in the past few days, he hadn't been able to ask her out, or anything really, as had been his objective upon setting eyes on her. He rubbed the back of his head, trying to come up with something nice to say.

"It was, uh... nice meeting you," he said. Smooth.

"As was meeting you, Mr. Iceman. And I would like to thank you for the use of your car when Madoka wasn't...feeling well." Motoko replied in her usual cold tone.

"That's no problem," I replied. I was still a little confused about the incident, after all. "I'm just glad she didn't get into an accident or anything. Oh, and you can call me Eric, by the way." I glanced back in the direction of the others, to see whether or not they were ready.

Everyone was still packing, but it seemed like they were getting ready to go.

Motoko sighed. "Eric...why do you feel the need to try to be so friendly to me, despite my best efforts to keep you away?"

Eric smiled, turning back to Motoko. Well, might as well get it out.

"If I was a teenager, you'd probably call it a crush," he said, chuckling. "But, I don't believe that would be the proper term now. You're a beautiful woman, and I believe there's more to you below that cold front you put up. Maybe that's why I've been thinking about you since we met."

Motoko gave a small smile.

Encouraged by the almost imperceptible smile, Eric returned it with his own. "Unfortunately, I didn't have the guts to say this earlier...Though, I do have a car. Perhaps sometime I could... treat you to dinner?"

"That...would be nice." Motoko replied almost silently.

"Hey, Iceman!! C'mon, we're going!!" Joe called out.

"Be right there, Joe!" Eric called out, before turning back to Motoko one last time.

He grinned. "I'll swing by sometime soon, when I get a few days off. See you soon, hopefully!" he said, before heading over to the BMW. With a last glance back to Motoko, he stepped in and started the motor.

And thusly, the Azu-girls' trip to the beach had become a long and eventful one, but now they were headed back to town…

For more children were on the way…and in time, they would all need to be checked on.

…

Author's notes: Special thanks to Iceman again for his character's lines. And as I'm promising to you guys now, I've got only one more anime crossover left planned. I have learned my lesson in that most reviewers don't get all the crossovers.

So, we finally head back to town, and a small timeskip to end the saga.

Next Chapter: Gender Check, The final chapter in the Beach Saga


	125. Gender Check, End Beach Saga

Gender Check, The Final Chapter in the Beach Saga

Warning: Contains Mature Content near the end.

…

Saturday, August 30th (Two days before the restart of school)

…

Now, a check up on the Azu-girls as they go through one more month of pregnancy.

Tomo actually never went through mood swings. She still begged Yomi for some caffeine, but Yomi still denied. Tomo's tummy also finally began to poke out, which made Koyomiko all the more excited.

Osaka was still throwing up every morning. Arata began to wonder if that might affect the baby, but since Osaka only threw up every morning, and never beyond that, he doubted it would. Osaka continued to suffer mood swings often, going from angry, to happy, to crying, to suddenly silly, and then often to…unemotional.

Meanwhile, Joe was having a VERY difficult time keeping up with Sakaki's eating habits. What was supposed to be simple cravings into weird foods was turning out to be an all out eating frenzy, as Sakaki ate and drank just about everything in the house she could. Both Joe and Nekosa wondered if the belly poking out was the baby inside of Sakaki growing, or Sakaki just eating and drinking too much. And although the mood swings did happen with Sakaki, they had become quite rare.

But we now join Joe, Sakaki, Tomo, Yomi, Arata, and Osaka a month later, where they all sit in the hospital, anxiously waiting for Dr. Mihama to call their name, for the first ultrasound to see just how the baby is doing…

For Joe and Sakaki, and for Arata and Osaka, it's to check the babies genders too…

Kagura and Kaorin are at the Sakaki household, taking care of Koharu, Nekosa, Pan, and Koyomiko, though three of the four kids anxiously await the news of their soon-to-come siblings.

Finally, Chiyo came walking out. A small frown was on her face as she looked up.

"Tomo Takino…" Chiyo started.

"That's me!" Tomo replied, standing straight up.

"Why did you also want a breast exam?" Chiyo asked.

"Why do ya think?!" Tomo said, bouncing up and down once again.

"This is getting old, Takino" Joe mumbled.

"Why aren't my breasts getting bigger?" Osaka wondered, looking down at her still-flat chest.

"Maybe they're hiding somewhere…" Arata replied.

"Oh, don't!! We're in a bloody hospital!!" Joe snapped.

"Yes. You can look for Osaka's breasts later, you two." Chiyo said, holding the door open for Tomo to walk in. Yomi also stood up, and walked in…

"Psst! Yomi!" Chiyo whispered.

Yomi looked, and saw Chiyo wink as she shut the door.

Yomi wondered what the wink was for, but was now on guard.

Tomo jumped up on the bed, bouncing up and down a bit. As Chiyo started up the ultrasound machine, Tomo crossed her fingers.

"C'mon, baby girl, baby girl, baby girl…" Tomo wished.

"Tomo, I think that it is most definitely going to be a girl." Yomi said with a sigh.

So, Chiyo checked on Tomo's baby using the ultrasound… suddenly, her eyes went wide…

"It's got two heads!!" Chiyo exclaimed. "And four arms…with no legs!! And is that a tentacle come out of it's…?"

"MY BABY'S A FREAK!!" Tomo yelled out, crying her absolute hardest.

It was at that moment, Chiyo couldn't hold it anymore. She started laughing so hard she fell on to the floor.

…

"Did you hear what Tomo yelled?" Joe asked.

"Yeah…Chiyo-chan dun' turned her baby into a freak…" Osaka replied.

"Maybe we'd better go before she does the same to ours." Arata said.

"You shall sit where you are sitting now!!" Joe snapped again.

Quite honestly, being around Osaka and Arata, especially in a stressful situation like this, can be quite tiresome.

…

"Yomi…my baby's a freak, and Chiyo's laughing at us…" Tomo cried.

Yomi couldn't hold it anymore either. She began to snicker.

It was at that moment that Tomo got it that something just might not be right here.

"Oh, god Tomo…that was priceless!" Chiyo said as she pulled herself from the floor.

"I knew it was a trick. I was just playing along." Tomo said, waving dismissively.

"Oh, I doubt that, Tomo…" Chiyo said, still snickering a bit, as she continued with the ultrasound.

"Well, so far, looks to be a healthy baby girl!" Chiyo replied, setting the machine on 'stand-by'. "Congratulations, you two!! You'll be seeing me a lot more as the pregnancy continues!"

…

Tomo and Yomi left the room.

"Ayumu-san. Arata-san." Chiyo called.

Arata and Osaka stood up, and headed into the room.

"So? How'd it go in there?" Joe asked.

"A girl!" Tomo said, beaming proudly.

"Chiyo had her going that the baby was gonna be a freak." Yomi said.

Both Joe and Sakaki had to stifle their laughter.

Tomo sulked a bit.

…

While Chiyo then checked on the baby, she got the conversation going.

"So…when's the wedding?" Chiyo asked.

"Sometime this year." Osaka said happily.

"We're planning on having it soon, within the next month or so, hopefully." Arata replied.

"It's quite unusual for you two to actually plan anything." Chiyo said. Though she had only known Arata for a little more than a year, she knew Osaka all too well.

"Yeah, well…we're hopin' to get it out of the way before the baby comes." Osaka replied.

"Oh, what's the gender?" Arata asked excitedly.

Chiyo checked using the ultrasound…

"A baby boy!" Chiyo declared.

Both Osaka and Arata got that happy look on their faces, and looked to each other happily.

"Pan's gonna have a little brother!" Osaka said happily.

That's when Arata worried slightly. "What will Koharu-chan think of that?"

Osaka thought about that for a moment. "Um…I don't know…"

"I wouldn't worry about it. If Koharu-chan doesn't like the boy, she doesn't live with you." Chiyo said.

"You're right, Chiyo-chan. Thank you." Osaka said with a smile.

Chiyo smiled back, giving her a thumbs-up.

…

Arata and Osaka came walking out.

"It's a boy." Osaka said.

"Oh, great. Someone that's gonna be after my little girl." Tomo said with a slight grin.

"The baby's not even born yet, and already she's thinking about who her girl is gonna date!" Joe growled.

"Oh, let's just see the gender of YOUR child…" Tomo said.

She then mouthed something. Only Joe picked it up, as she mouthed the words 'tiny'.

Joe's fists clenched.

"Joe-san. Sakaki-san." Chiyo called.

…

Joe held Sakaki's hand tightly as he watched the ultrasound screen with Chiyo.

"So, what are you hoping for?" Sakaki asked.

"Truthfully…I don't care…so long as the baby appears to be healthy…I'll just be happy to have a child of my own." Joe said.

Suddenly, Chiyo's face appeared…a bit concerned. She ran the ultrasound over Sakaki's stomach again.

"Ch-Chiyo?" Joe asked, filled with worry.

Chiyo didn't respond as she kept running the ultrasound over Sakaki's stomach. Sakaki felt Joe's hand clench her own a bit tighter.

Chiyo looked back at him. Her face changed a bit, from a bit of seriousness to a smile, as she uttered one word.

"Twins."

"T-twins?!" Joe said, completely and totally shocked.

"Yes. Twins. A boy and a girl." Chiyo said, her smile a bit bigger.

Sakaki looked to Joe's face. She saw…quite a bit of shock.

"J-Joe? You're…happy, right?" Sakaki asked.

Joe buried his face into Sakaki's shoulder, and began to cry.

"Twins…I'm…gonna have twins…" he cried happily.

Sakaki wrapped her arms around him, and rubbed his back, a smile on her own face. Yes, he was happy. Beyond happy.

Chiyo began putting the ultrasound machine away. Her own joy was seeing her American friend, Joe, finally get to have his own kids.

Chiyo waited for Joe to get past his joy, and wipe away the tears from his happy face.

"So, I guess I'll ask then…how's the sex life?" Chiyo said.

Both Sakaki's and Joe's faces turned red.

"U-um…w-well…" Joe started

"E-er…I-I mean…" Sakaki tried.

Chiyo giggled. "I see…not much after the pregnancy began, huh?"

"Well…you know…I'm not one to usually impose anything…" Joe replied with a blush. Sakaki noted the truth in the statement. After the pregnancy began, he never really asked for sex. She guessed the whole prospect of having kids was the thing that drove him to ask in the first place.

"Well, I would suggest that, as long as Sakaki-san is feeling up to it, that you do try for some. It will help with your relationship, now that you don't have to worry about taking pregnancy tests and whatnot…and it will actually help with the birth process!" Chiyo said.

Joe kind of stared at her for a moment. "U-um…Chiyo…is that…actual medical fact, or is that just a guy's excuse to get sex while a woman is pregnant?"

"It's actual medical fact!" Chiyo said. "See, when a woman or-"

"At at at!!" Joe interrupted. "I didn't want a medical explanation. I just wanted to know if it was true or not."

"Oh…it's true." Chiyo replied with a sweat-drop. "But…like I said…only if Sakaki is up for it."

Joe looked at Sakaki, who nodded with a blush. It was still embarrassing to her to talk about that sort of thing around other people.

…

Joe and Sakaki came walking out of the room, and immediately, Joe jumped, pointing a finger right at Tomo.

"IN YOUR FACE, TAKINO!! HAHA!!" Joe yelled triumphantly.

"What?" Tomo asked, completely confused.

"Dynamite does come in small packages!!" Joe said, hands on his hips in a triumphant pose. "I'm gonna have twins!!"

"Well, congratulations." Yomi said sincerely.

"Thank you, Yomi." Joe said. He then began walking out with Sakaki. "I'M GONNA BE THE FATHER OF TWINS!!"

"Boy, he's happy." Tomo said. Arata, Osaka, Tomo, and Yomi all stood to leave.

"It's been his dream." Chiyo said, watching him walk out. "Ever since I was with him in college, it's been his dream to have kids of his own…and finally, that dream is going to be realized."

"Well, thanks so much for helping us through this, Chiyo-chan, and we'll see ya soon!" Osaka said as the four of them left.

"Bye. Take care." Chiyo said, waving to them.

As she watched them walk out of sight, she couldn't help but think of Joe.

_I'm so happy for him,_ Chiyo thought, as she walked down the hall to get back to work.

…

It was then that the parents would return to Joe's house. Every last person there looked at them expectantly.

"A girl." Tomo said.

"A boy." Osaka said.

"Twins." Joe said.

"What are twins?" Nekosa asked.

"That means that there are two babies. One boy and one girl." Joe said.

All the kids looked at Sakaki's stomach…then looked at Osaka's…then Tomo's…

All the tummy's looked about the same size…

"Are you sure?" Nekosa asked.

"Positive." Joe said. "Dr. Chiyo checked them out!"

"But how much longer do we have to wait?!" Koyomiko asked.

Yomi smiled. _Just like her Mama…absolutely no patience at all…_she thought.

"Only a few more months, Koyomiko." Tomo said. "So c'mon! Let's head home!!"

"Yay!!" Koyomiko said, grabbing hold of Tomo's hand, and heading out.

"Pan?" Osaka asked.

"See ya, Koharu." Pan said.

"See ya, Pan." Koharu said.

And Pan left with Osaka and Arata.

"A boy…bleck." Koharu said after they had gone.

"Oh, c'mon now!" Kagura said with a big grin. "Be happy for Osaka!"

"I'm happy for Osaka-sempai…" Koharu said. "Just…a boy…bleck!"

And with a laugh, Kagura, Kaorin, and Koharu all left as well.

…

(That night, after all the kids are asleep)

…

Joe and Sakaki lay in bed next to each other…staring at the ceiling…

In total silence…

"Hey, Tanaka…you thinkin' about what Chiyo said?" Joe asked, breaking the silence.

"mmm" Sakaki said, nodding once.

More silence…

"Well, seriously, if you're not up for it, we can just snuggle…" Joe said.

"I'm…not really tired…" Sakaki replied.

"Neither am I…" Joe said.

He turned on this side-lamp, and instead opened the book 'What to expect when you're expecting.'

"Hm…interesting…" Joe mumbled to himself.

"Hm? What's that?" Sakaki asked.

"Well, first up, each pregnancy is different, and no one, not even the woman herself, can predict what's going to happen to her…" Joe said without looking from the book. "But apparently, sex during pregnancy can also be much more pleasurable than just regular sex."

Sakaki's eyes went wide as she sat straight up in bed. "Let me see that."

Joe handed her the book, and she read on. Sure enough, the book actually covered 'making love during pregnancy'. Each woman was different, from staying away from sex entirely, to craving sex, to just finding sex more pleasurable, etc.

Sakaki read on, a blush forming on her face as she continued.

"Tanaka?" Joe asked, sitting up.

"U-um…" Sakaki closed the book, and handed it back to him. "Here."

"Oh…uh, thanks." Joe said, placing the book on the table.

Sakaki's mind began to wonder…

She quickly turned, and kissed Joe passionately on the lips, pushing him onto the bed.

She then pulled back. "Promise me…promise me you'll be one of the greatest fathers to our kids…to the two in me…and Nekosa."

Joe smiled. "I've promised it before, and I'll promise it again. I'll do everything I possibly can…to be one of the greatest fathers…to all of them."

"Then…make love to me…you hot hunk…" Sakaki replied, blushing indecently at her last little part.

Joe even snickered a bit, causing her to blush more. "You didn't drink any secret soda before you came to bed, did you?"

Sakaki again kissed him passionately. "No…this time...it's all me…"

The passionate kissing began going further.

…

Osaka sat straight up in bed.

"Hm? What is it, Ayumu?" Arata asked.

"Ah'm suddenly craving sex…" Osaka said.

Arata stared at her for a moment.

"And now it's gone…" And Osaka feel back to the bed, and back to sleep.

Arata just shrugged, and laid back down to fall right back to sleep with her.

…

Tomo and Yomi were busy on their own bed, passionately kissing each other.

"Hey…Yomi…ya wanna have sex?" Tomo asked.

Yomi gained a small grin as she moved herself under the blankets…

"OH MY GOD!!"

Yomi pushed the blankets off, and jumped out of the bed, coughing like she had just been poisoned. Tomo couldn't stop laughing.

"You think that's funny?! I just about died!!" Yomi yelled back, coughing some more.

"Silent but deadly!!" Tomo said, laughing some more.

"God, you have some very cruel ways of ruining the mood, you know that?!" Yomi yelled, leaving the room.

"Oh, c'mon, Yomi!! Ya gotta have fun every once in a while!!" Tomo yelled back. She then continued her hearty laughter.

Yomi walked down to Koyomiko's room, and laid down next to her in her futon.

"Kaa-san?" Koyomiko asked sleepily.

"Shhh…just go back to sleep. Mama's being mean, so Kaa-san's gonna sleep with you tonight." Yomi said in a soothing motherly tone.

"Ok, Kaa-san." Koyomiko said with a small smile, before curling up, and going back to sleep.

…

Joe and Sakaki lay curled up with each other. Joe was breathing heavily, but Sakaki was just plain out panting.

"Holy…cow…" Sakaki whispered as she tried to catch her breath. Her heart was racing.

"Man…I don't think I've heard you squeal that loudly before…" Joe said.

"I…couldn't help it…it felt…so good…" Sakaki moaned.

Joe felt the need to snuggle Sakaki closer…the love making this time was more passionate…for they had done it as love, rather than as a way of reproduction…

"I love you, Tanaka…" Joe said.

"I…love you too…Joe…" Sakaki replied. She looked up, and the two stared into each others' eyes.

The romance flitted in the air, and the two shared in a deep, passionate kiss before falling asleep in each other's arms.

…

Author's notes: Well, the final chapter comes to an end in the most awkward of ways.

So, a little explanation…

I do actually have the book 'What to expect when you're expecting'. Upon telling my mother that I was writing a fanfiction with girls being pregnant, she immediately handed me the book (herself having given birth 5 times, to me and my four younger brothers), knowing that, as a guy, I would not have the slightest clue about any of it. At first I was a little leery, but after reading into it, there's stuff in there that you've never been told anywhere else.

First up, each and every woman is different. They mention that A LOT. Duly noted.

Second, there actually is a chapter 'making love during pregnancy'. And yes, I did read the part about how sex really, truly does help with the actual birth process. I couldn't believe it, and even (embarrassingly) asked the doctor the next time I went for a routine checkup if it was true, and even SHE said the same thing. So know that you guys are getting real facts about pregnancy when you read this fic!

Third, yes, it did list both the mood swings and the food cravings in the book. What's more, that interested me, were these apparent anti-cravings. Food that pregnant woman just suddenly lose taste to. What's more is that, in extreme cases, many women would even gag or throw up at even the SMELL of these foods that they couldn't stand during pregnancy!

Finally, I am actually trying my hardest to keep it mostly censored still, while giving you guys the facts. And there will be things both during the pregnancy and during the birth itself that I will exclude for the sole purpose of censorship, though I will still warn you if things to come might get a little gross.

But, the next saga has many things to come!! Osaka's wedding to Arata, the passing of some more months into pregnancy, and even a secret about Nekosa that no one knew about…until now!

See you all next time!!

Jamesbondkid will return in the "Pregnancy Saga"


	126. Pregnancy Hells, begin Pregnancy Saga

Pregnancy Hells, begins Pregnancy Saga.

…

Sunday, August 31st, 6:30 am

…

Joe left his house with a jacket on, giving a huge yawn before he even left the block.

He was still so happy to be having twins…

The problem was, in his excitement, he had forgotten that Sakaki had virtually eaten everything in the house already.

So, he was headed out to the store to pick up some breakfast.

Along the way, he spotted Yomi, looking possibly just as tired as he was, also with a jacket.

"Hey Yomi…" Joe said tiredly, but still with a smile.

"Hey Joe…" Yomi said, giving a long yawn afterwards.

"Tired, huh?" Joe asked with a small chuckle.

"Meh…" Yomi replied with a shrug. "I'll be awake before I get home…"

Joe and Yomi walked in silence a bit further before running into Arata, who was also leaving his house with a yawn.

"Morning, Arata." Joe replied, a little bit more awake now.

"Morning…" Arata replied dozily. It was obvious that this was NOT in his book of 'how to start the day'.

Then again, Arata had once slept a whole weekend under a kotatsu with Osaka. So really, waking up early at ALL was not fun for him.

"So…I'm headed off to the store to get breakfast for the family, since Tanaka ate everything in the house…" Joe said. "What about you guys?"

"Tomo had a craving for something…" Yomi replied grimly.

"Same with Ayumu." Arata said.

"Finally, huh?" Joe said to Yomi. "What did she crave?"

Yomi pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket.

"A salad with chocolate chips and whip cream" Yomi said, reading of the slip.

Joe raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"How about you, Arata? What's Osaka craving?" Joe asked.

Arata turned to the both of them, and said with an absolute straight face:

"Baby back ribs."

Both Yomi and Joe had to turn and stare for a moment.

_She wants her baby back, baby back, baby back, baby back…ribs._

_She wants her baby back, baby back, baby back, baby back…ribs._

Yomi, Joe, and Arata stopped to look at the sidewalk singers.

_CHILIIIIIIIIIIII'S BABY BACK RIBS!!_

Joe reached into his pocket, pulled out two 500 yen coins, and threw them into the hat that the people had sitting there. Then the group of three continued walking on.

"That was kinda creepy…" Arata said, looking back at the singers.

"Indeed." Joe replied.

…

Once at the store, the three of them split up to find whatever their particular family needed.

Joe went on to buy whatever he could. Cereal, milk…

_Thank god I have the job that I do…_ Joe thought.

And suddenly he froze.

His job…

The time was coming…

In fact, it was only about a month away…

Which meant he'd be working a nine-to-five shift starting tomorrow…

His knees shook hard… he fell to his knees…

Who would take care of Sakaki during this time? He was just lucky that Nekosa would be starting school tomorrow…

It all hit him… so much stuff had been going on in his life that he had completely forgotten about his job…

Hell, he would have remembered tomorrow… the calendar was marked on the first of September that he was to report in to work.

Joe wanted to bang his head on something… Sakaki was going to be alone and pregnant for 2 ½ months while he was at work…

No…he had to find someone to help out…

A hand touched his shoulder.

Joe jumped straight up, and about 10 feet back.

Yomi stared at him with concern.

"Something happen?"

"N-No…I'm fine." Joe lied, turning back around.

Yomi wanted to call him out… but she could tell… he wanted to think about it first…

Wanting to avoid that unpleasant scene, Joe quickly made his way over to the meat section for some bacon when he found Arata fast asleep on a package of ribs.

Sighing heavily, Joe shook him awake.

…

And all three would return home with their groceries. The return trip, however, was completely silent… Yomi wanting to ask Joe what was up, but not knowing how to ask… Joe continually thinking about Sakaki… and Arata…well, still tired.

…

Arata would return home, bags in tow.

"Where have you been?!" Osaka asked angrily. She was standing in the doorway, and Pan was sitting in the kitchen, eating cereal.

"I went to get some ribs, like you asked…" Arata said, shutting the door and taking his shoes off.

"Goin' ta get ribs shouldn't take that long!!" Osaka growled.

"Sorry, Ayumu…" Arata replied with a slight smile. "I fell asleep in the meat section…"

"YOU WERE ASLEEP WHILE I WAS HERE STARVING FOR RIBS?!" Osaka yelled.

Arata took a step back, and held up the ribs. "U-um…I-I g-g-g-got th-them for you…"

"Yay!!" Osaka replied happily. "Now we can cook 'em!!"

Arata was still shaking slightly as he walked into the kitchen to cook the ribs.

Osaka followed him in, still wearing a happy smile, when she noticed Pan. Pan was staring at her last Fruit Loop, chasing it around the bowl with her spoon in a mindless trance.

"Pan?" Osaka asked.

"Huh? Oh…morning, Ayu-mama." Pan said in a monotone voice, snapping out of her trance.

Instantly, Osaka began to cry as she hugged Pan tightly.

"It's ok, Pan!! No need to be depressed!!" Osaka cried out.

A slight amount of worry came to Pan at that moment… she wondered if Osaka would suddenly go back to mad and snap her neck…

Pan looked horrified at the thought.

…

Joe would return home with his groceries. His mind still frozen to the thought of leaving his pregnant wife for 2 ½ months.

Joe dropped the groceries in the kitchen, then instead went to his room, where two calendars hung. One was 2008, the other was 2009.

February was circled in red on the 2009 calendar. It was the expected month for when Sakaki was to give birth.

But Joe stared at the 2008 calendar, pulling a few sheets up to look at the few months he would be gone. Sakaki would pass from Trimester 2 to Trimester 3 within that time…

He felt like he was abandoning Sakaki for his job… his mind kept trying to tell him 'you'll see your babies born, you'll be there with her for the rest of it, you'll be able to spend time with your kids, your job will help pay for these new kids…'

Yet through it all…he still felt like he was abandoning her… abandoning his kids…

And he already knew… calling in sick, or asking for maternity leave was out of the question. Sakaki was not be giving birth during those months, and his job NEEDED him during that time. One of the few downsides to the job… they gave you 8 ½ months of total free time, they expected you to work when they needed you.

Joe turned his attention away from the calendar, and to the peacefully-sleeping Sakaki.

She looked so beautiful…

Deciding he'd think about it later, he went out to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Sakaki's eyes opened from her fake-sleeping. She could already tell… with the way Joe hadn't even kissed her head after coming home…something was wrong.

…

Yomi pushed Joe into the back of her mind. Whatever it was… if he needed help, he knew to ask for it.

Yomi opened the door to her house to see Tomo and Koyomiko sitting on the couch watching TV with intense interest.

"Hey you two." Yomi said.

"Hi, Kaa-san!!" Koyomiko said happily. She got down from the couch to give Yomi a hug before returning to where she sat.

"About time!!" Tomo said with a grin.

"Sorry, I ran into Joe and Arata at the store." Yomi said. "Anyway, I think I'm in the mood for waffles this morning."

"Yay, waffles!!" Koyomiko said happily.

Yomi smiled at the child, then went into the kitchen to start making breakfast.

…

As Yomi was in the process of making a third waffle, she stopped. She could have swore she heard a scream…

Yomi looked up from her cooking and gazed about the room. Tomo and Koyomiko were still settled silently on the sofa, watching the TV with intense interest.

"Tomo, did you just scream?" she asked.

"Nuh-uh.", Tomo shook her head. "Why do you ask?"

"I could have sworn I heard you scream…."

"Must be hearing things, Yomi." Tomo responded, never taking her eyes off the TV. "Hey Koyomiko, ya think Koharu-chan would like this movie?"

"Yeah!" Koyomiko chirped happily.

"She uses the forbidden slicing technique… one that aims for the weaknesses of men and slices it off cleanly." A samurai in the movie said.

"Definitely!!" Koyomiko chirped again.

…

Later that same day

…

Arata hung up the phone, and sighed. He went upstairs to Osaka's room, where Osaka was sitting on the bed. He made sure to shut the door behind him.

"Ayumu…" Arata said, as he went and sat down next to her. "…the closest wedding chapel isn't available until January."

Osaka looked at Arata, then to the calendar, where January was circled. Being pregnant earlier, Osaka was going to be having her baby sooner.

"B-but…" Osaka's eyes watered up. "Ah want mah baby to be born to a father…"

"I scheduled it for as early as possible, Ayumu." Arata said with a smile. He reached out and held her hands. "Don't worry. Your baby will have a father."

Osaka's eyes got even more watery. "That's…so sweet and kind of you…and…and…"

Osaka's hands suddenly moved up and grabbed Arata's collar.

"Ah want'cha right now, ya handsome stud!!"

"W-wait, Ayu-!!" Arata's words were cut off by Osaka's kiss, and he was pushed back onto the bed.

…

Pan was sitting downstairs, watching TV, with the teddy bear she got from Koyomiko in her arms. Her attention was turned when she heard some crashing upstairs.

Wondering what was going on, she got off the couch to walk up the stairs.

Suddenly, Arata burst out of the room, missing his shirt. He tripped on the top step, and came sprawling down, come to a stop at the bottom of the stairs with a THUMP!!

Pan's mind was utterly confused. What in the world…?

Osaka came out of the room… though she was far more indecent than Arata was.

"Tha' was really weird…" Osaka said. "God… ah suddenly wanted sex really bad…"

"Ahhhh!! Ayu-mama!!" Pan screamed, turning her eyes away from her naked mother.

"Ayumu…I think you may want to put some clothes on…" Arata replied, still lying on the ground in pain.

"Oh…good idea…" Osaka said, turning back to her room.

Arata painfully lifted himself to a sitting position, and cracked his back.

"What happened?" Pan asked.

"I don't know, Pan…" Arata said. "One minute…she was about to cry…the next… she attacked me with a kiss…and started taking my clothes off…and then when I got away…she started taking off her own clothes…and kept growling that 'she wanted me'."

Pan looked terrified.

"Pregnancy is a lot like being possessed…" Arata mumbled as he stood himself up.

…

"So…all excited to be going to school tomorrow for the first time?" Joe asked Nekosa, the two of them sitting on the floor in their living room, having just finished packing Nekosa's backpack with school supplies.

"MM-HMM!!" Nekosa said with a happy face.

"Now…remember…some kids aren't going to like you because of your cat features." Joe started.

"Huh? But why?" Nekosa asked.

"Because…the world is not accepting of people who are different…" Joe said. "Try to make some new friends…but if anybody tries to pick on you…mostly the boys…find Koharu. She'll teach 'em a lesson."

"Ok, Otousan!!" Nekosa replied with a smile.

Joe gave a smile. She was so cute…

"Oh…" Joe reached into his pocket, and pulled out a key. "This is a spare key to the house. Use it when you come home from school to unlock the front door."

He then took the key, and placed it in a pocket in Nekosa's backpack.

"Remember where it is, and put it back each time you use it, ok?" Joe said.

"Ok, Otousan…" Nekosa replied.

The two hugged each other, and Nekosa then ran into her room while Joe got up and sat on the couch.

It was then that Sakaki came walking in, and sat down next to her husband.

A moment of silence passed…

Sakaki was the first to speak. "Joe… Something's wrong…"

"Yeah…" Joe replied. "Remember…my job?"

All went quiet again. Sakaki understood now… he didn't want to leave her alone like this…

Joe suddenly hugged her tightly. "Tanaka…I don't want to leave you!!"

Sakaki hugged him back as he began to cry slightly.

"God…I just don't want to…" Joe said, continuing to cry a bit.

"I'll be ok…" Sakaki responded quietly.

"I just don't know if I will be…" Joe responded in a whisper.

…

Kagura and Kaorin laid on their bed as Koharu sat playing video games in her own room.

"Natsuko…" Kaorin started softly. "Why didn't you go to the Olympics this year?"

Kagura remained silent for a moment.

"Because…I…knew I wouldn't make it…" Kagura replied. "I…didn't train at all this past year for it…"

Kaorin looked up, straight into Kagura's eyes. "Natsuko… I want you to try… I want you to train your hardest over the next four years, and I want you to make it to the Olympics and win the gold medal!!"

"Don't worry. I will!" Kagura said, giving that infamous Kagura-grin. "I already have plans to make it all the way for all the swimming events!!"

Then, Kagura sat up, and pulled Kaorin's face in close.

"And when I win that medal… I'm dedicating it to you, Koharu…and Pan…" Kagura said.

"Oh, Natsuko…" Kaorin swooned.

The two met passionately with a kiss.

"Hey, Kaorin?" Kagura said after they pulled back.

"Yes?" Kaorin asked.

"When was the last time we got it on?" Kagura asked with a big grin.

"It's been a while… are you up for it?" Kaorin asked with a slightly smaller grin.

Kagura got up, and closed and locked the door to the room.

"I guess the question is…" Kagura said, taking off her shirt to reveal her sports bra. "Would you be able to keep up?"

"Why don't you come over here…and I'll show you?" Kaorin asked seductively, wiggling one finger at her.

…

Koharu heard some wild screams coming from her parents' room. So much so that she actually paused her game to listen.

"Woah…what is Natsuko-mama DOING to Kaori-kaa-san?!"

…

Author's Notes: So I noticed that I was lacking in Kagura/Kaorin sex scenes, so I thought I'd include one right at the end.

So… did anyone see the fic reference during the Tomo/Yomi part? XD

And also, it seems like Osaka is becoming more and more sex starved now, eh? XD

Next Chapter: A Depressing First Day


	127. A Depressing First Day

A Depressing First Day

…

Monday, September 1st

…

The group of Koharu, Koyomiko, Pan, and Ami stood outside the grade school. All of them were dressed in the grade school uniform (it was a yellow-ish uniform, one that Koharu disliked, but Koyomiko loved for its bright colors)

"Where is she?! She's gonna make us late!!" Koyomiko said angrily.

"Calm down, Koyomiko-chan. She'll come." Koharu said.

Finally, she started coming. Nekosa, toting a backpack, with Joe and Sakaki right behind her.

A few blocks from the school, Nekosa stopped and turned around to face her parents. Sakaki and Joe bent down to her.

"Now…be good…be safe…" Joe started.

"And no matter what happens…we love you." Sakaki said, scratching behind Nekosa's left ear.

"Ok, Okaasan. Otousan." Nekosa replied.

Nekosa gave them both a quick hug, getting a kiss on the forehead from both of them, before walking off to join the rest of her friends.

Joe and Sakaki watched for a moment.

"You worried about her?" Joe asked.

"mmm" Sakaki said, nodding.

"She'll be fine. She's a tough girl…like her mother." Joe said with a smile to Sakaki.

Sakaki smiled back, and the two kissed.

"Well…I'm headed off to work…" Joe replied, trying to keep a smile on his face. As he headed off, though… he looked back to Sakaki… and saw her looking back at him.

She gently waved to him… and he waved gently back before he continued walking.

It was a painful walk to work for the both of them that day…

…

"So, ready for school?" Koharu asked, showing off a Kagura-grin.

"mmm" Nekosa said with a nod. "Though…I'm a bit nervous…"

"Well, let's go!!" Koharu yelled.

"Not yet, Koharu-san. We need to wait for Sachiko-san." Ami said.

"I'm not waiting for Nakamura." Koharu growled, as she started walking in.

"Koharu…" Ami growled.

Koharu angrily turned around and glared, and Ami angrily glared back.

Koharu, unsure of how to come back, decided that she'd wait for Sachiko, but she wouldn't like it, so she went and leaned up against a tree.

Sachiko Nakamura came walking down the street shortly afterwards.

"Hi, Sachiko-san!!" Koyomiko yelled happily, waving her arm wildly in the air.

_Nah, crap… now I have to deal with Ms. Over-energetic at school too…_ Sachiko thought to herself.

Not much had changed since the vacation taken with Sachiko… though Nekosa noted that she hadn't really talked with Sachiko, even during the vacation…

So as Sachiko walked up to the group, Nekosa stepped forward.

"H-Hi… I don't think we've been introduced…I'm Nekosa." Nekosa said, bowing as she said so.

Sachiko was unsure of how to answer to the cat-girl, but bowed out of politeness anyway.

Nekosa was a little nervous… a girl who got in a fight with Koharu, the toughest girl Nekosa knew, and actually put up a _good_ fight… this girl was a little scary to her.

…

The group of six headed up to the main board, where their homerooms would be listed.

"Hey!! There I am!!" Koyomiko yelled, pointing out her name.

Koyomiko looked down at her other friends… they were all a few boards down…

Koyomiko looked at her own name…then back at her friends…

A small sense of loneliness suddenly filled Koyomiko… she wanted to be with her friends…

Even more so because it would be easier to get accustomed to going to a new school…

Koyomiko turned away, and sadly walked to her classroom…

Pan could only watch Koyomiko turn away… it made Pan sad… knowing that she couldn't help Koyomiko in any way…

And Koyomiko, upon reaching her classroom…was frightened…because that nice teacher she had had back in kindergarten wasn't there to help her…

…

Koharu and Sachiko stared at the board in shock.

Their names were in the same room.

"How'd this happen?!" Koharu growled at the board.

"My doing."

Koharu and Sachiko whipped around… then had to look up…

Right at the principal.

"I believe you two girls need to learn to get along together… and what better way then to place you in the same homeroom." The principal replied.

"BUT SIR…!!" Both Koharu and Sachiko started to protest.

The principal simply raised one hand to stop them both. "My mind is made up on the matter, and there will be no changing it."

Then the principal walked away, leaving Koharu and Sachiko to grumpily glare at each other.

"God… and I'm not even in the same homeroom…" Ami sighed.

Nekosa turned back to Pan. "Well… at least we're in the same homeroom."

Pan nodded. It would be a good chance for her to get to know Nekosa better.

…

Pan went into the classroom, followed closely by Nekosa. The two took seats next to each other.

"So…hey, Pan, what's school like?" Nekosa asked.

"Um…" Pan was at a bit of a loss. How do you describe school to someone who's never been in it?

Meanwhile, Nekosa's cat-features were already getting the attention of many of the other students in the classroom.

"Hey, who's the girl with the cat ears and tail?"

"You think they're real?"

"You dork! Of course they're not real! I bet the teacher's gonna ask her to take them off!!"

"Look at those gloves on her hands…those have gotta be warm! I wonder where she got them?"

Suddenly, the teacher walked in.

"Hello, class. I'm your teacher, Harris William. I'll be your homeroom teacher for the year."

Will went up and wrote his name on the board in katakana, then turned around.

"Right then, First, if any of you have any questions, you can ask me anything, it's what I'm here for."

There was silence, and a few nods from the class.

Will clapped his hands together. "No questions? Good, moving on now, you have all been here a year already and most of you know each other already. But today we have a new student going us who hasn't been to this school yet. I want all of you to be really nice to her and make friends with her."

Nekosa begins to get nervous, knowing full well it's probably her.

"So…I'm looking for a… Sakaki Nekosa, is she here?" William asks.

"Y-Yes…I'm here…" Nekosa replies in a nervous tone.

William's eyes went to the little cat-girl. And like most other people who first saw Nekosa, simply thought the cat features were part of a 'costume' that she was wearing.

Will beckons her up. "Come on now, don't be shy. Come up here and introduce yourself!"

Nekosa stands up nervously, and makes her way to the front. Her cat-features are now made obvious as she stands at the front of the classroom.

"H-Hi..." she says nervously. "I-I'm Sakaki Nekosa. P-Pleased to meet you all" she bows as she finishes.

Will smiled kindly at Nekosa. He can't help but think: _I swear I saw her on the news not so long ago... _"So Nekosa-chan, tell us a bit about yourself"

"W-well... I was home-schooled by my Otousan until I came here..." Nekosa replied. "He said it was for the first year..."

"And what do you like to do when not in school, Nekosa-chan?" Will asked.

"U-um... I-I play with my Okaasan's kitties..." Nekosa replies nervously. Her tail flicks nervously.

Will smiled down at her, "Ok Nekosa-chan, You can go sit down now."

Nekosa hurries back to her seat. Will then goes on. "Now, What Nekosa-chan just did was very brave. It's very hard to stand in front of a class and talk." Will scanned the room. "Ok, Moving on, I'm going to explain year 2 for you..."

A few minutes of explanation later, the bell rang.

"Ah, now off to your first classes!" Will said with a smile.

As all the students file out, Will watches them, his eyes stopping on Nekosa. "Nekosa-chan, can you come talk to me for a second?"

Nekosa shakes nervously. Pan also wonders what's going on. As Nekosa walks up to Will, Pan sits outside the room and listens in

Will waited for the last student to leave then he turns to Nekosa.""So Nekosa, How have you found being in school so far?"

"W-well...I-it's only after homeroom... s-so... I really don't know yet." Nekosa responds nervously.

"Well, I want you to know that if you have any problems then you can talk to me about it ok?"

"O-ok... thank you, Harris-sensei" Nekosa replies, bowing.

"One more thing, Nekosa. We have quite a strict school uniform code here. I'm afraid that the cat outfit isn't allowed to be worn. You can wear it today, but tomorrow, it would be better if you came without it."

"C-Cat outfit?" Nekosa asked, her eyes going a bit wide. "U-um...e-er...I-I..."

"Is there something you want to ask me?" Will asked, a bit of concern in his voice.

"I...I-it...u-um..." Nekosa gulped hard. "I-It's not... an outfit."

"What do you mean Nekosa?"

"I...I'm not wearing a c-cat outfit..." Nekosa said, now beginning to noticeably shake.

"Now, Nekosa…" Will started. "I can understand that your Otousan would have allowed you to wear this cat outfit, and made you believe that it was real, but if the outfit was real…would I be able to…"

As Will's hands reached up and touched the cat-ears, he could immediately tell something was…different. These ears felt real. Almost TOO real…

What Will had intended on doing was removing the 'fake' cat ears from Nekosa's head, thus revealing that they were indeed an outfit… but now… he could feel that Nekosa wasn't lying… that the ears…were real…

"Well, that's…new…" Will remarked, finally putting his hands down. "Um…why don't you just…head off to your next class."

"Thank you." Nekosa bowed, and quickly left. Her ears were slightly back as she left.

William stood there a moment… a little bit shocked…

"A cat-girl…" Will said, still in a bit of shock. It was certainly something new to him…

…

We now fast-forward to lunchtime… and to where Nekosa is VERY thankful to be.

She's sitting outside with the rest of the group, eating lunch. The day, so far, has been hell for her. Two of her teachers already asked her to remove the ears, only to come to realize that they were actually a part of her. One teacher tried to 'remove' them by grabbing onto them as Nekosa walked by… that was no fun, and it really hurt.

But the teachers were really the only bad part of Nekosa's day… as now sitting by Koharu and Sachiko during lunch, no one dare go near the group.

For all of the kids were still fully aware of Koharu and Sachiko's fight… and when you know someone that's tougher than you, you tend to stay away from them at that age.

Meanwhile, Koyomiko sat by the group as well, also thankful that it was lunchtime.

"Man… I wish I could go to your guys' classes…" Koyomiko whined as she sat down.

"Why would you want that?" Koharu asked. "Those classes are tough."

"But I want to be with you guys!" Koyomiko whined. "We've been together since Funari-mama and JBK-san were neighbors!!"

"I know…" Nekosa said. "Maybe you could ask your teachers if you could join us…"

"Really? Would that work?" Koyomiko asked.

"Hmph." Sachiko remarked. "You have to be smart to be able to skip years like that."

Koharu just growled at Sachiko's remark.

Koyomiko sighed, and continued to eat her lunch. It was already starting to be a depressing first day…

…

(End of school)

…

Now the group stood and looked outwards from the school doors, as did most of the other kids. It was now heavily raining, and it had been an unexpected rain, apparently, for even the newscasters had not told of it's coming until just a few hours before it showed up.

"Man, it's just down-pouring" Nekosa noted.

"Sounds like someone reads Captain Obvious manga." Sachiko replied as she pushed her way through the crowd to the front.

"He has his own manga now?" Koyomiko asked in surprise.

Sachiko, with the biggest sarcastic look in her eyes, looked right over at Koyomiko. "Yes, Koyomiko. Captain Obvious has his own manga."

"Woah…cool. I wanna read 'em sometime." Koyomiko said in amazement.

Sweat-drops passed throughout all present.

Sachiko then continued on.

"Hey, where are you going?!" Koharu asked.

"I'm going home. No sense waiting at school." Sachiko said as she walked right out into the rain. No umbrella, no raincoat. She then started making a run for her house.

"She thinks she's tougher than me?!" Koharu growled. Adjusting her backpack, she then walked out into the rain, then started running to her house as well.

"Do those two always do that?" Koyomiko asked.

"Uh-huh…" Ami said in a tone that said she was rather grumpy at the two's actions.

"Kaa-san says going out in the rain without a raincoat or umbrella can make you catch a cold…" Koyomiko said as she stared out.

But all the while, Nekosa stared out into the rain… it had seemed like the day was like that for her… each and every teacher had assumed her to be wearing a costume of some kind… when in truth… her cat-features were all real…

It was one of the first times in her life when she wished she was normal.

…

Meanwhile, Will had made his way home under his umbrella. He was thankful that he was no longer living in Britain, if only because the rain there came with a damn wind that would always turn your umbrella inside out…

Will shook off his umbrella, and walked inside his small house. From there, he went to his computer, and booted it up.

To know a little more about Will Harris the teacher, he was a British man who had moved to Japan. Why? Because he had a small obsession with earthquakes. And Japan was known as the Earthquake Capital of the world…

So, he became a teacher, and was also able to live out his days enjoying the tremors that Japan brought about, even if most of them were rather small…

It was here that he married his wife, Mei. She was a Japanese woman who stood at about 5' even, with brown hair and brown eyes. She was studying to become a seismologist (a person who studies earthquakes). Will fell in love with her almost instantly.

Now a professional seismologist, Mei was currently married to Will.

As Will sat down and typed in the password to his windows computer, he felt a small rumble on the ground.

"Oh! Mei, I feel the ground rumbling!!" Will shouted out with glee.

"Just a truck going by, crumpet muffin. Get back to work." Mei replied.

"Awwwwwwwww…" Will said in a disappointed tone.

Mei giggled.

But Will started up YIM, started up a conference, and started talking to his friends.

He started talking about the cat-girl within his class…

And Will was not the only teacher to do this… every other teacher who had taught Nekosa that day would go home and tell their spouses…

It was the start of how news normally spreads… and thanks to today's technology… it would spread even faster…

…

Author's notes: As you can see, the news of Nekosa's cat-features being real are going to be spread around the world…

But it's due to this that her 'secret' that I told everyone about will be revealed soon!

Next Chapter: Koyomiko learns the Wildcat Secret


	128. Koyomiko learns the Wildcat Secret

Koyomiko learns the Wildcat Secret

…

Tuesday, September 2nd

…

It was 5 pm.

Koyomiko sat, alone, on the grounds of the school.

"Where are Mama and Kaa-san?" She asked.

This hadn't happened back in kindergarden… at least one of her parents came to pick her up somewhere…

But it also gave her some time to think… to the day's prior events…

…

Earlier that day

…

"Excuse me, Sensei?" Koyomiko asked after homeroom was done.

"Yes?" The female teacher with brown hair and black eyes bent down to Koyomiko's eye level.

"Would it be ok if I went to my friend's classes? I want to be with them." Koyomiko said.

"Oh, well don't you want to make some new friends here?" The teacher asked.

Koyomiko looked down. "W-well…u-um…"

"I see… well, which homeroom are your friends in?" The teacher asked.

"Well…um…they're…two boards down on the homeroom list." Koyomiko replied.

"Oh…" The teacher sounded a bit distressed at this news. "Koyomiko-chan…they're a grade up… I'm afraid that can't happen."

"But why?" Koyomiko asked.

"Because… they're a grade up. The lessons taught in those classes is a lot harder than what's taught here." The teacher explained.

"B-but…I…" Koyomiko didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry, Koyomiko-chan. There's nothing we can do." The teacher replied, before standing up. "Now you'd better get to your next class before you're late."

…

(End of flashback)

…

Koyomiko got depressed at these thoughts… she would forever be separated from her friends…

"Hey, Koyomiko. Sorry I'm so late."

Koyomiko broke out of her trance to see Tomo, still in her ICPO uniform, kneeling down next to her.

Koyomiko stood up, and hugged Tomo tightly. Right now… she needed the love…

"Aww, Koyomiko. Did something happen?" Tomo asked.

Koyomiko pulled back from Tomo. "Mama… where were you?"

"I'm sorry, Koyomiko. I tried to get out of work, but my boss wouldn't have it." Tomo explained. "And your Kaa-san is working late, trying to get a new dieting book out."

As Tomo stood up and held out her hand for Koyomiko to take, she couldn't help but notice how Koyomiko was still rather sad.

"Hey, c'mon now, cheer up!" Tomo said, giving a wildcat grin. "We'll go home and make some supper!"

Koyomiko gave a nod… something was still bothering her, and Tomo knew it.

Tomo turned around. "C'mon. Let's talk."

And the two started walking home.

As they left the school grounds, Koyomiko began to talk.

"It's not fair, Mama."

"What's not fair, Koyomiko?" Tomo asked, listening intently.

"I wanna be with Koharu-chan…with Nekosa-chan… even with Melon… but… I can't." Koyomiko gave a sniffle.

"Awww…why not?" Tomo asked. "You get to see them at lunch, don't you?"

"But I wanna be with them in their classes!!" Koyomiko said. "And I asked the teacher if I could go to their classes, but she said that they were a grade up, and that all that stuff was harder!! They told me I couldn't go!!"

Tomo stopped and stared off into the sky. Those last words of Koyomiko's… 'they told me I couldn't go'…

Koyomiko noticed Tomo had stopped walking. She waited for a few seconds…

"Mama?" Koyomiko asked.

Tomo's mouth formed a small smile. She looked down at her daughter.

Koyomiko saw a glimmer in Tomo's eyes. Something that said she had an idea.

"C'mon, Koyomiko. When we get home, we need to have a long mom-daughter talk." Tomo said, continuing to walk on, though this time with a bit more vigor.

…

Meanwhile, Nekosa sat outside her house, her ears back on her head with her tail lying limp next to her, with her head hanging in shame.

She had accidentally left her key in the house after unlocking it yesterday. Now she had no way to get in to the locked house. So she sat there… waiting for Joe or Sakaki to come home.

Nekosa had all the thoughts of the world to herself… mostly about school…

She still felt like everyone stared at her from time to time… her cat-features drew attention to her… though it was unwanted attention…

And now she was locked out of her own house…

Nekosa looked up into the slightly cloudy sky, and was thankful that it wasn't going to rain.

Leaning up against the door, Nekosa wished that she was a cloud… being able to drift so freely…

Her eyelids…feeling so heavy…

Nekosa drifted off…

"Hey, Nekosa…"

Nekosa wasn't sure how much time had passed, but when she woke up, Joe was looking at her face, with Sakaki not too far behind him.

"Why'd you fall asleep out here?" Joe asked.

Nekosa's ears immediately went back as she looked at them with a shame-ridden look.

"I…I left my key in the house…I'm sorry…" Nekosa whimpered.

There was a moment of silence…then a gently pat on her head.

"You know… you're too damn cute to stay in trouble for very long." Joe said with a small smile.

Nekosa got a big hug from Joe as he unlocked the door. Sakaki then got a hug and a kiss on the cheek as the three of them walked in.

Nekosa's tail swayed gently. She was so happy to have loving parents.

…

Koyomiko and Tomo walked into their house. Koyomiko sat on the couch while Tomo went into the kitchen, and came back with two glasses of orange juice. She set them down on the coffee table, then looked at Koyomiko.

"Ok, Koyomiko…" Tomo began. "I think it's about time I taught you the ways of the wildcat"

Koyomiko's mind flashed to a cat out in the wild. She wondered how in the world this applied to her getting into the same grade with her friends…

"Hey, Koyomiko, remember that little story your Kaa-san told you about the two of us getting together, and how I tried so hard and succeeded in getting into the same school as her?" Tomo asked.

"Uh-huh." Koyomiko said with a nod and a smile.

"Well… that's the secret" Tomo said. "You have to be incredibly focused, and REALLY want to get what you're trying for. It's all about the dedication you give to it."

"Woah…" Koyomiko said. "Is there anything else, Mama?"

"Yes." Tomo said, giving a big wildcat grin. "You cannot slack off when you're focused. But you can afterwards. Just remember that, it makes it a whole lot easier to stay focused."

"Ok, Mama!!" Koyomiko said with determination.

"And don't be afraid to ask either me or your Kaa-san for help. If you really want it, we'll help you get there!" Tomo replied.

Koyomiko gave a few short nods, then grabbed her backpack, and headed to her room.

"Oi! Where you going?" Tomo asked.

"I gotta do my schoolwork!!" Koyomiko said.

Tomo gave a small grin. "That's my girl."

…

7pm

…

Yomi finally came walking in the door. Tomo was sitting there, watching TV.

"Ah, welcome home!" She said.

"Thanks…where's Koyomiko?" Yomi asked.

"She's upstairs, doing schoolwork." Tomo replied.

"Oh, well that's good." Yomi said. "Looks like she's got enough of me in her to understand the value of doing your homework."

"Heheh…whatever you say, Yomi. Whatever you say." Tomo replied, not looking back at Yomi to give a big wildcat grin.

…

Later that night, Tomo walked into Koyomiko's room to check on her. She noticed Koyomiko lying on the floor, her pencil sitting idly in her hand as she stared at a book.

"Mama…" Koyomiko moaned.

"Yes, Koyomiko?" Tomo asked.

"My brain hurts…" Koyomiko replied. "I can't take any more…"

Tomo sighed. Yeah, it had been like that the first time for her too…

"Well, Koyomiko, you can't expect it to be easy…" Tomo replied, walking in and shutting the door behind her. "…it wasn't very easy the first time for me either."

"When was your first time, Mama?" Koyomiko asked, sitting on her legs to be a bit more comfortable.

"I was really young. Back in middle school, I wanted the next volume of the Lupin III manga really badly" Tomo replied.

"So what did you do?" Koyomiko asked in curiosity.

"Well…my father paid an allowance for stuff I did around the house." Tomo replied. "So I ran around the house, doing whatever I could. It was hard…I sometimes wanted to just give up. But I always went up to my manga collection, and always looked at that empty spot I had reserved for that one manga book, and it always filled me with new energy to do what I could to get it!"

Koyomiko took it all in, and she sat there, thinking for a moment.

"Mama, do we have some tape?" Koyomiko asked.

"Eh? Tape? I think so…"

"Could I have some please?" Koyomiko asked.

Tomo ran out of the room, and after a bit of searching, found the tape. She then ran back upstairs with it, and saw Koyomiko lying on the ground again, only this time she was drawing a picture.

"What're you doing?" Tomo asked, setting the tape down next to her.

"I'm gonna draw a picture of my friends…" Koyomiko said. "And I'm gonna put it up on my wall, so then when I get tired, I can look up at the picture, and be filled with energy, just like Mama was!!"

Tomo laughed. At least Koyomiko had the general idea.

"That's my girl." Tomo said, rubbing Koyomiko's head before walking out.

As Tomo walked out of the room, she couldn't help but wonder if Koyomiko really could do it.

"I know she can…" Tomo reassured herself. "She's my girl."

Tomo rubbed her belly at the thought.

"Soon…I'll have two girls." Tomo replied, giving a slight smile.

…

Author's notes: The particular scene between Tomo and Koyomiko is reference to a picture by Funari called "Wild Cat", in which Tomo teaches Koyomiko the ways of the wildcat, and Koyomiko is thinking of the literal wildcat XD

But can Koyomiko catch up to her friends using the 'Wildcat Secret'? We'll find out!

Next Chapter: The Media Hits the Fan


	129. The Media hits the fan

The Media Hits the Fan

…

The rest of the week was rather horrible for all of the kids.

Koharu and Sachiko could say it was horrible, if only because they were stuck in a homeroom together.

Ami would also say it was horrible, because her two best friends were at each other's necks, and now she was away from them.

Nekosa would say it was bad, because she was receiving negative attention from everyone in class, who would often look at her because her cat-features made her stick out like a sore thumb.

Pan would also say it was bad, because now that Koharu was in a separate homeroom, poor Pan only ever saw Koharu at lunch and at home.

Though both Pan and Nekosa had to admit, it allowed the two of them to get to know each other better.

But behind the scenes, something none of the girls knew… was that the news of Nekosa's cat features was spreading like…well, like something that spreads really, really fast.

On Monday, the teachers had gone home and told their spouses about the cat-girl…

On Tuesday, the spouses had told their friends…

On Wednesday, the friends had told their friends and spouses…

On Thursday, research was being done by news reporters within the country on the cat-girl…

And by Friday of that week, the news began spreading outside the borders of Japan, much in thanks to the World Wide Web.

So now we join the Sakaki family household… on a morning where things for them all are about to change…

…

Saturday, September 6th, 7 am

…

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!

Joe was awoken by a banging on his door. Rolling out of a bed in a half-sleepy stupor, he walked to his door with a yawn. Using the peep hole, he peered out to see who was there.

"What the hell?" He very suddenly felt more awake.

There was a news crew outside his door. No…wait… looking through the hole some more, he could very well see that there were quite a few news crews outside of his house.

"Oh man…" Joe moaned. Looking at himself in only his pajama's, he quickly realized he wasn't presentable…

He ran back to his room to get dressed, the banging on his doorway continuing.

"Joe…" Sakaki moaned, turning over. "Who is that?"

"A couple of news crews…" Joe said as he put on some socks. "I'm not really sure what they're here for, though…"

Nekosa came by the doorway, signaling that she had been woken up by the noise as well. "Okaasan… what is that noise?"

"Nekosa… please go get dressed." Joe said. "Tanaka, I think you'd better too."

Sakaki sighed heavily, and gently rolled herself out of bed, her stomach showing still. "My god… these babies are getting heavier and heavier to carry…"

"I know…" Joe replied with a small smile.

…

A few moments of banging later, and the Sakaki family stood dressed at the door.

"Ready?" Joe asked.

Sakaki and Nekosa gave a nod.

Joe took a deep breath, and opened the door.

"Sakaki-san!! What is it…"

"Sakaki-san!! Are you…"

"Sakaki-san!! Where do you…"

Joe and Sakaki were completely lost. They were bombarded with so many questions all at once that most of the words were lost in the crowd.

"Hey!! Hey, Quiet down!!" Joe tried yelling out, but it was no use. His words were also lost within the crowd.

Nekosa's head perked out from behind Sakaki's leg. And in that instant, the whole crowd of news reporters focused their attention on her.

Nekosa became completely frightened. The bright lights and flashes from the camera's threw off her sight.

As Nekosa ran back into the house, Joe slammed the door shut, and Sakaki ran after Nekosa.

"God…frickin' reporters…" Joe growled as he looked back into his house.

Walking his way into Nekosa's room, he was met with a heartbreaking sight.

Nekosa was tightly curled up in Sakaki's arms, and gentle crying could be heard coming from the little girl.

And Sakaki looked worried … she was being flashed back to those horrible, horrible days when she was under house arrest for possessing Mayaa… the police had kept the reporters out of her house back then…

Joe kneeled down next to the two girls.

"Joe…" Sakaki asked in a tone that showed her worry. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, Tanaka…" Joe replied, looking at the shaking, crying Nekosa in his wife's arms. "I just don't know…"

"Otousan…Okaasan…" Nekosa cried. "I'm scared…"

"There, there, Nekosa… you're perfectly safe in here." Joe said with a smile, gently petting her head. "We won't let them get into the house. Here, I'll go make breakfast. It'll make you feel better."

As Joe walked through his living room, the phone rang.

"Hello?" Joe asked.

"Hello, is this the Sakaki residence?"

"Yes…" Joe replied.

"This is the CNN news from the US. I would like an interview with you and your family on the basis of keeping a cat-girl in your household."

"No." Joe replied, putting the phone down. As soon as he did, it rang again. Joe quickly unplugged the phone before going to make breakfast.

…

After breakfast, things just got worse. The news reporters continued to try to get into his house. Joe went online to check his e-mail, and it was completely bombarded with people trying to get his family to get an interview.

"What the hell?! How'd they get my e-mail address?!" Joe yelled. He quickly exited out, and shut down his computer.

Sakaki was watching TV, Nekosa once again curled up in her arms. Sakaki, her curiosity getting the best of her, turned to a news channel. First it was a very nice report about the Chinese Olympics.

"If that's the one thing I like about Japan…" Joe said as he sat down next to the two. "The news doesn't try to make people look bad. Its unbiased news, and the people can make up their own minds about it. America was always reporting about the horrible stuff. I hate them for that."

Sakaki gave a nod. "Are those…American reporters out there?"

"I don't know…" Joe responded. "…I never got a chance to look at them… but I did get a call from CNN news in America… I would NEVER want to talk to those jerks."

Sakaki looked down at the floor. It was all happening so fast… and Nekosa had school, and Joe had work! How would they make past those reporters come this Monday?!

A few tears ran down Sakaki's face, which Joe noticed. He quickly pulled her in close for a cuddle.

"Don't worry…" Joe said in a quiet tone. "I'm here…"

"What do they want?!" Sakaki asked, the tears still running down her face.

Then the news caught their attention.

"Going back, our top story today… we find out that a girl with cat-features is living in Japan. What's more is… the cat features are REAL. Trying to find the history of how this girl came to be was blocked by American Intelligence. All we can find out now is that it had to do something with a corporation that was funded by the government. More on this story as it develops."

Joe shut the TV off, then went back to cuddling Sakaki and Nekosa close. The news report made it oh so obvious, though…

They wanted Nekosa.

Sakaki curled Nekosa up close, and nuzzled herself in Joe's arms. She needed the comfort now more than ever.

And Joe's mind had another thought. _No one knew…_

After all… all of the other girls looked completely normal, save for the missing belly button. And how often do you really look at a person's belly button anyway?

Nekosa though…

_So the evil corporation's actions were covered up by the government…_ Joe thought.

As the family curled up with each other, with the news reporters sitting outside, the three of them took a small nap on the couch. For all of them…they were worried about what the future held….

…

Meanwhile, one of the most powerful and influential people in the United States was discovering just what was going on.

Oprah Winfrey, a woman who had not only become president and let the US into an age of prosperity, but was also able to still run her show, was catching wind of just what had been going on.

"Ok…" She said to her secretary as she turned off the TV. "I'm calling a conference; I want the CEO's of the CIA, FBI, and all the other secret government branches in it. I want to find out exactly what's going on, and I want it now."

"Yes, ma'am!" The secretary said, immediately getting to work on it. Most of the time, Oprah was kind and gentle. But when she got serious, you'd better stay with her.

Meanwhile, Oprah turned in the oval chair, and stared out the window behind her.

_I wonder how that family is doing…_she thought. _They're probably getting torn to pieces by the media right now…_

…

Joe would be the first to awaken from the short nap. Noticing Sakaki still wrapped up in his arms, he gently rubbed her arm.

Sakaki gently awoke, and sat up, rubbing her eyes. It was obvious that the nap had helped, but she was still bothered.

"Tanaka…I've gotta go get milk…" Joe said as he stood up. "I'll be back."

"But…how are you going to get past the reporters?" Sakaki asked.

Joe gave a small smile. "I will. Trust me"

…

As the news reporters stood outside Joe's door, a window opened on the Sakaki household.

Lifting himself up and out, Joe got out of the house, and made his way along the road.

…

On the way to the grocery store, Joe began to wonder why he loved Nekosa so much… especially for her cat-features… one problem with the world nowadays was anyone who was different in any way was shunned out of society.

Thankful that he was able to make it to the grocery store without problems, he went to the dairy isle and picked up some milk.

"Hello there."

Joe looked up to see two older women he didn't know. One had long, blonde hair and blue eyes. The other had short, brown hair… but her eyes were in an almost closed position, so he really couldn't tell what color her eyes were.

"Um…hello…" Joe said, giving a small bow, unsure of why this woman said hello to him.

"I don't think we've met before." The woman said. "I'm Mrs. Mizuhara, Koyomi's mother."

"Koyomi?" Joe asked, tilting his head.

"I believe you also know her lover, Tomo…" Mrs. Mizuhara said.

"OH! You mean Yomi… yes, very pleased to meet you." Joe said, giving a small bow again. "I'm Joe Sakaki."

"Yes, Koyomi has told me about you. You got your wife out of prison for keeping a… Yamamayaa animal, I believe." Mrs. Mizuhara said.

"Yeah… I did…" Joe said, grabbing the milk.

"Well, I'm Jill. Pleased to meet you, Joe." Jill said, extending a hand outward.

"American, huh?" Joe asked, giving her a handshake.

"Oh, yes." Jill replied with a smile.

"Well, I must be going…nice talking to you." Joe said as he turned to leave.

"Now hold on, Joe-san." Mrs. Mizuhara said. "We saw the news and would like to talk with you."

Joe looked back at Mrs. Mizuhara with a slightly stern look. "You're not a reporter, are you?"

"Oh, no" Mrs. Mizuhara replied.

"Though you would be rather good at it if you were" Jill replied with a giggle.

"Now, now, Jill. Joe-san's going through a rather hard time right now." Mrs. Mizuhara said.

"Like you would not believe…" Joe muttered.

"Tell me, Joe-san…" Mrs. Mizuhara said as she moved her way up to him. "What made you decide to take Nekosa-chan in, anyway?"

Joe looked around. He moved himself to somewhere a bit secluded, and set the milk down. He then waved for Mrs. Mizuhara and Jill to come closer, which they did.

Joe looked down, and gave a huge sigh. He then closed his eyes, and began to deeply think.

"Because… when I first saw her cat-features… I just thought they were part of a costume…" Joe said, his eyes closed throughout the whole speech. "And…I guess as I think about it now… maybe that's why Nekosa wasn't discovered to have real cat-features until now… but… when she first came, I thought nothing of it… then I found out they were real. At first I was kind of freaked out… a real life cat-girl!"

As Joe's eyes were closed, he suddenly gave a small smile. Both Mrs. Mizuhara and Jill noticed this, and knew he was going into a happy memory.

"But… I saw the smile on Tanaka's face… and… I wasn't in any way jealous or angry, like most men would be… but I was happy, because my wife-to-be was happy. And…that's really what it's always been about for me."

Joe opened his eyes, a small smile on his face.

"And that's what family is all about." Mrs. Mizuhara replied with a gentle smile.

Joe looked up at Mrs. Mizuhara and Jill, and bowed deeply.

"Thank you… for helping me find what I really needed."

And with that, Joe grabbed the milk, and left, stopping at the registers to pay on his way out.

Jill and Mrs. Mizuhara watched with a smile.

"So… you set out for just groceries, did you?" Jill asked.

"Just groceries" Mrs. Mizuhara replied.

"My dearest Mizu-honey, you're lying to me" Jill replied with a wink.

"Can't hide anything from you, can I?" Mrs. Mizuhara replied with a giggle.

…

Author's notes: I love using Mrs. Mizuhara and Jill. Especially during this part, to help Joe find something deep within his heart that he really needed to find.

But now we finally move on to the chapter that I know many people anticipated.

Next Chapter: Nekosa's Secret Revealed


	130. Nekosa's Big Secret

Nekosa's Big Secret

…

Joe walked towards his house, two gallons of milk in tow. He kept on darting from house to house, hoping not to be spotted by news crews.

As he was finally within one block of his house, he peeked out. There he saw the news crews, still at the front of his house. And the window in which he came was still open.

Perfect.

But as he was about to make his run, a van suddenly squealed to a stop next to him. It was a black, unmarked van.

The van opened up, and a bunch of men wearing what looked like SWAT suits suddenly jumped out, grabbed Joe, and hauled him right into the van, shutting the door.

"U-um…whatever it is, I didn't do it!!" Joe stumbled.

"You'll be fine." One man said in English. "You'll be able to see your family soon enough."

"Wh-what's going on?" Joe asked back in English.

"Classified information, but you'll find out soon enough." The man replied, still in English.

Joe had far more questions, but this guy wasn't spilling the beans, so he just kept quiet.

Joe felt the van suddenly lurch forward, then stop. He almost fell out of the seat, and he was lucky to grab the two gallons of milk before they hit the floor of the van.

"A little bit of a warning next time would be nice!!" Joe yelled.

The van opened up, and Joe was shoved out of the van. He saw that he was by the front door, and all of the news reporters were gone. But what had replaced the news reporters were now men in black suits, most of them looking around for something.

"Just go inside and greet your family as usual." The man in the van said, before closing the door.

Joe, even more nervous than ever, slowly started his way to the house. As he did, two of the guys in suits suddenly stopped him.

Joe wasn't quite sure how to respond, especially since immediately after that, two more guys suddenly started feeling up and down on him.

Joe had to fight the urge to jump out of the reach. He had never had a full-body search before.

Noting that he had no weapons on him, the four men let him go.

Joe walked past the guys, as they went back to scouting the perimeter.

Joe walked into the house, and was immediately greeted by Sakaki with her arms around his neck in a hug.

"Joe, thank god you're ok!!" She pulled back from the hug and gave him a passionate kiss.

Joe was at a loss of words for a moment, but when Sakaki pulled back, she had a worried look in her eyes that woke Joe up from his stupor.

"Tanaka, are you ok? You weren't hurt, were you?" Joe asked, looking around her body for any sort of marks.

"No…" Sakaki replied. "But these men suddenly showed up, and they hauled the reporters away…" Sakaki's eyes began to tear up. "…and then they knocked on the door, and asked to come in… they said they wouldn't hurt us, and they weren't reporters… and they came in… they searched me and Nekosa… and they positioned themselves outside, and I've been worried sick if they caught you…and…and…"

"shhhshhhshh…it's ok, I'm here. I'm alright." Joe hugged his wife tightly. This was another whole ordeal for her, as she had been through the body searches once before, and being pregnant was already adding its stress.

"Where's Nekosa?" Joe asked when he pulled back.

"She's… curled up under our bed." Sakaki replied, wiping away her tears. "She says she won't come out until the men are gone."

"Poor girl…" Joe said. He had promised Nekosa was safe in the house, and now these men in suits had invaded their home. "I wonder how they got permission to do this… especially from the Japanese government…"

"What do you mean?" Sakaki asked.

"I got tossed in a van…" Joe replied. "…and the people I spoke to were American…"

Joe went into the kitchen, and deposited the two gallons of milk in his fridge.

Joe closed the fridge door, and walked into his room. He could plainly see that there was at least one man stationed in each room, and his was no different.

Joe looked at the man, then laid down on his stomach on the floor, so he could see under the bed. And there was Nekosa, more frightened than ever.

"Hey, Nekosa…" Joe said.

"You promised, Otousan…" Nekosa said.

"I know I promised…" Joe replied. "… but they came by surprise. I wasn't expecting them to come…"

Nekosa stayed her ground, not speaking a word.

"C'mon, Nekosa. Please come out." Joe pleaded.

A moment's pause.

"Not until they're gone." Nekosa said quietly.

Joe sighed, and got up, walking out into the living room to Sakaki. Both of them could feel their hearts just aching out for poor Nekosa, who didn't want any of this attention… what's more is that it all happened so fast… not even 24 hours.

Suddenly, the man in the living room touched his ear, where a receiver was.

"Copy that." The man said into his shoulder in English, before turning to the two present. "She's going to be here soon. Please, sit on the couch."

"Wh-what's going on?" Sakaki asked. Being as stressed out as she was, she was in no mood to try and understand English.

"He asked us to sit on the couch…" Joe told her. "I don't know what's going on beyond that…"

Joe and Sakaki slowly moved to the couch, and sat down.

A few seconds passed…though to both Sakaki and Joe, who had no clue what was going on, it seemed like hours…

Then finally, a few seconds passed, and the door to the Sakaki household opened… revealing someone Joe recognized…

"J-Jill?!" Joe said in shock and amazement.

"Oh my, Joe" Jill said in a bit of surprise. "This is quite a surprise.

"Wh-what are you doing here?!" Joe asked in shock.

"Well… I used to be a translator for the American government to the Japanese. And I was asked if I could do it one last time." Jill replied with a smile. "You can imagine my Mizu-honey's surprise when she found out." She added that last part with a giggle.

"Y-yes…quite…" Joe replied. "So…what's going on then?"

"Even I don't know…" Jill said, as she walked through the living room, and sat down next to Joe. "All I know is, it's something important."

A car pulled up. All three present heard the door to the car open, then someone step out before the door was shut. They heard the footsteps of the person as she walked up to the door….

Joe's eyes went wide. "Oprah Winfrey…"

"Oh my…" Jill whispered. "Must be something very big…"

The man in the living room moved a comfy-looking chair so that is was exactly across from Joe and Sakaki. Oprah walked through the house, and sat down in the chair.

(In English)

"Hello, there." Oprah started. "I'm sorry about all the secret service stuff, but they say it's 'required for my safety.'

Through all of this, Jill translated it into Japanese.

"Erm…it's…no problem…" Joe said. Though it technically was a big problem, do you really want to say it to Oprah?

"You have a nice house." Oprah said with a smile, looking around it.

"Th-thanks…" Joe said, still a bit unable to understand why she, Oprah, the president and still-famous talk show host was here in his house.

"Why…were the…reporters here?" Sakaki asked in her best English.

Oprah turned her attention back to the two. A bit of concern was seen in her eyes.

One of the secret service guys took some paper out of his pocket, and unfolded it, before handing it to Oprah. Oprah looked it over, then looked up at the two.

"I warn you now…" Oprah replied. "It may be…difficult for you."

(End English)

Oprah handed the sheets to Joe. Sakaki looked over, and saw that they were typed up in English. Joe was in the process of reading it.

Joe held on to the paper as he read on… his hands began to shake, as did the paper… Sakaki could read shock on his face…

"What is it?" Sakaki asked.

Joe's hands that held the paper slowly fell to his legs. And he spoke:

"Nekosa… isn't supposed to be alive…"

Sakaki felt like a ten-ton weight was dropped on her. Her hand tightly gripped Joe's wrist.

"Wh-what do you mean?!" Sakaki asked.

"She was…" Joe painfully looked down at the paper. "She was created illegally by Azami. She used the… lab's equipment to create Nekosa… late at night."

In the meantime, Jill translated what Joe was saying to Oprah.

"There's more…" Oprah said in English. "The company's records say that she was killed… rather than being marked as 'kidnapped', like some of the other kids were."

Joe's eyes turned cold and harsh as he spoke back to Oprah in English. "Of course… didn't want the world to know that a cat-child that was created illegally in their own lab got away."

"There's one more thing I'd like to ask of you." Oprah said. "If you get the chance… I'd like to appear on the show… with Nekosa."

The whole house remained silent. Finally, Joe spoke.

"If we do…" Joe said. "I want a promise that the reporters will leave my family, especially Nekosa, alone."

Oprah looked Joe straight in the eyes. "I can promise you that the American news crews will leave you alone… I can't say anything about Japanese ones…"

"Good enough." Joe replied. "My family has already had trouble with reporters before…"

"I know… but thank you for agreeing to be on my show…" Oprah stood up, and extended her hand. Joe stood up, and shook it. "How soon could you appear?"

"How soon can you get us on there?" Joe asked in a tense tone.

"If you can pack and be outside within two hours, I can get you on the show as early as tomorrow." Oprah replied.

"Good. Get the secret service guys out, and we'll be there." Joe said, in almost a commanding tone.

Oprah gave a nod, and waved to the secret service guys. And all of them filed out.

"See you guys later… and good luck." Jill said, bowing before she left as well.

Sakaki and Joe remained silent and still for a moment. Then the two headed into their room, and got down on their stomachs so as to look at Nekosa.

Nekosa was curled up underneath the bed.

"Nekosa…honey…" Sakaki said in that gentle, motherly tone she had. "Come on out… they're gone…"

Nekosa remained curled up.

"Nekosa?" Joe asked.

Still no response.

Joe moved himself over to the side of the bed, and could see Nekosa's face. He let out a small chuckle.

"She's sleeping" Joe said with a smile.

Sakaki smiled, and even blushed.

Joe crawled underneath his bed, and gently pulled Nekosa out. Once the two were finally out from underneath the bed, Nekosa awoke.

"O-Otousan?" Nekosa asked as her eyes flitted open. "Okaasan?" Nekosa then let out a huge yawn.

"Come on, Nekosa…" Sakaki said to her with a gentle smile. "…Wake up, now. We have to get ready."

"Get ready? For what?" Nekosa asked, rubbing her eyes.

"We're gonna go somewhere special…" Joe said. "…so that those nasty reporters won't bother us anymore."

"B-but…we're not leaving, are we?" Nekosa asked.

"Not forever." Sakaki replied. "Just for a few days."

"Ok…what do I need to pack?" Nekosa asked.

"Just some clothes for a few days." Joe replied. "Now go get ready, quick! We're gonna be leaving in a few hours!"

"Ok, Otousan!" Nekosa quickly got up, and ran for her room.

"Seems like she's almost completely forgotten about it since taking that small nap" Sakaki said to Joe once Nekosa was out of earshot.

"Yeah…" Joe said with a smile. "…good thing."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Eh? Now who could that be?" Joe asked.

Sakaki shrugged.

The two of them got up (Sakaki needing some help), and the two went to answer the door.

And there stood the group of Tomo, Yomi, Koyomiko, Koharu, Kaorin, Kagura, Osaka, Arata, and Pan, with all of them toting bags.

And Tomo was wearing her infamous wild-cat grin.

"Oh, don't tell me…" Joe moaned.

"Yup… we're goin' with ya." Tomo said, keeping her grin on.

"God damn it…" Joe groaned. "And here I was looking forward to a peaceful time with my family…"

"Awwww… I love ya too." Tomo said, deciding to give Joe a big hug around the waist.

"Tomo…" Joe warned. "Let me go before I break your arms."

Koyomiko pulled on Yomi's shirt, catching her attention. Yomi bent down to Koyomiko.

"Hey, Kaa-san…why does Mama irritate Joe-san so much?" Koyomiko asked.

Yomi gave a smile. "Because now that your mama loves me, she had to find someone else to irritate all the time. And Joe was just there."

"Oh, lucky me." Joe said in a sarcastic tone as he pushed Tomo away, and went back inside to get ready.

"Man…this is exciting!!" Kagura said. "I've never been on a talk show before…"

"Hell, forget the talk show!!" Tomo said anxiously. "You ever ride in Air Force One?! Friggin' sweet!!"

"Mind your language, Tomo." Yomi said, her usual mature-ness returning. "And how do you know about Air Force One?"

"I looked in the dictionary under 'friggin sweet', and there it was!" Tomo replied with a big wildcat grin.

Yomi sighed. "I pray that you'll be more mature than this when we actually get on the show…"

…

Joe moved back into his bedroom, the tears rivering down his face.

"Everyone's coming along…including Takino…" Joe whined.

"Awww… well, tell you what…" Sakaki started. "Why don't you get pregnant for 9 months, and I'll complain about Tomo coming along?!"

"Huh?" Joe asked. "U-Um…T-Tanaka…"

Sakaki stood up, anger flaring in her eyes. "I don't want to hear a single thing about Tomo from you during the entire trip, got it?!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am…" Joe replied in a frightened tone.

"Good." And instantly, Sakaki's face turned back to happy. "And now for packing! Oh, this is going to be just so exciting…"

Joe was incredibly worried. Sakaki hadn't had a moodswing that whole day, but just the mention of his whining about Tomo, and she was all over him.

Joe got a small chill up his spine.

…

Author's notes: Originally, I was going to have only the Sakaki family go on Oprah's show, but I didn't want to put them in sole focus throughout the whole thing.

Also, does this chapter seem a bit cheesy to you guys? I kinda felt like it did… .

Next Chapter: Before the show


	131. Before the Show

Before the show

Note**: Bold,** English

…

Saturday, about Mid-day

…

So, the Sakaki family got packed up (Sakaki made sure to give the Iriomotes some extra food, so they would be ok), and headed out with the rest of the group. Three regular black cars then pulled up.

"What the hell?!" Tomo whined. "I was expecting something a bit more fancy!"

The secret service guy said nothing. He didn't quite speak Japanese…

So, the group got into the cars, and they drove off.

The group reached the airport without incident. They were then escorted to a special landing zone for Air Force One.

"Woaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…" Tomo said as she gazed upon the huge aircraft. "…FRICKIN' AWESOME!!"

"Kaa-san…" Koyomiko said in amazement. "Are we riding to America in THAT?!"

"Yes, Koyomiko, we are." Yomi said.

"Is it gonna be able to get off the ground?!" Koharu asked.

"I don't know!!" Koyomiko replied, still in a sense of awe.

After getting checked through the airport, everyone hopped aboard the aircraft.

"**The president is in the back, taking a nap until we arrive. She asked that she not be disturbed."** One secret service guy said to the stairs.

"**Give us about 10 guys to hold the woman with purple down, and we'll be good."** Joe said back.

Tomo missed it completely. She didn't quite speak English…

Everyone noted how spacey and roomy it was. Each person picked out a seat.

Koyomiko got a spiny chair. And she spun around a little bit.

Tomo gave a big grin. "You see that? That's my girl."

Koyomiko spun around some more, and began singing… "_**In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps toniiiiiight…**_"

Joe gave a chuckle. "Where'd you learn that song, Koyomiko-chan?"

"My Funari-mama taught it to me." Koyomiko replied happily. "You think she'll see me on TV?"

"Mmmmm…maybe. If she's watching." Yomi replied.

"YAY!! Funari-mama might see me!!" Koyomiko squealed with joy.

"Who's this Funari-mama?" Someone said as she came out of the bathroom.

"MOM?!" Yomi yelled in utter shock.

"Mizuhara-san? What are you doing on Air Force One?" Joe asked.

"And how the hell do you know my mother?!" Yomi yelled at Joe.

"Jeez…calm down, Yomi." Tomo said. "Just because your mother had an affair with Sakaki-san's husband…"

BAM!!

Sakaki covered Nekosa's eyes as Yomi uppercut Tomo rather hard.

"I met her at the grocery store. Same with Jill…"

"…you called?" Jill asked, coming out of the same bathroom that Mrs. Mizuhara had been in.

And in Jill come out of the same bathroom, those mental images that Yomi had of her mother making out on the couch with Jill all came flooding back…

Yomi whined, and put her head in her hands.

"She gonna be ok?" Jill asked, though she was smiling.

"I still think my poor Koyomi hasn't gotten over the fact that you and I were lovers." Mrs. Mizuhara replied with a giggle.

Joe sighed. "So…why are you here?"

"Well…I'm being brought to the show to help translate for those who don't speak English." Jill said.

"And I just came along." Mrs. Mizuhara replied.

The sound of someone coming up the steps was heard, and stepping on was the final passenger… Chiyo Mihama. Her hair had been noticeably cut, so much so that it was now not even to her shoulders.

"Chiyo!!" Joe exclaimed happily. "I was wondering what happened to you!"

Chiyo walked over, and sat down next to Joe. "Yeah…"

"Chiyo? What's wrong?" Joe asked.

"I…broke up with Shaun last night…" Chiyo said quietly.

"Oh…" Joe put a comforting hand on Chiyo's shoulder. "Why?"

"I don't know…" Chiyo replied. "… I mean… we kissed and all… it just seemed like… both of us knew our relationship wasn't going to go very far…"

"So…who did the breaking up?" Joe asked.

At this, Chiyo smiled a bit. "hehe… we both did. Both of us wanted to say it, and we did… it still just hurts…"

"There, there. Breakups happen…" Joe replied, pulling Chiyo into a hug. "You just have to learn from this one…"

"**Ladies and Gentlemen, we'll be taking off now. Please fasten your seatbelts.**" The pilot said.

"What'd he say?" Tomo asked, as she slowly got up off the floor from her uppercut.

"He said put your seatbelts on, we'll be taking off." Jill replied, taking a seat, and fastening in.

Koyomiko jumped down from her spiny chair, and got next to Yomi before buckling in. Tomo got in next to Koyomiko and buckled in.

"You want to lay your head on my shoulder? You look tired…" Joe said as he buckled in.

"That'd be nice…" Chiyo responded as she buckled in. "I…didn't get much sleep last night."

The plane started taking off.

"Woah…it's gonna try and take off!!" Koyomiko said.

"Are we sure it can?!" Koharu asked.

Tomo and Kagura had to laugh. The two younger kids reminded them a bit of themselves…

Chiyo's head laid on Joe's shoulder, even through the rumbling.

…

Through the air, Chiyo remained asleep on Joe's shoulder. Koyomiko had also fallen asleep in the comfy cabin, and was now lying on Tomo's lap. Arata and Osaka had found a spare bed, and had fallen asleep on top of it. Pan was over by Koharu, staring at the sleeping Koyomiko. Koharu herself had fallen asleep on Kaorin's arm. Nekosa had fallen asleep in Sakaki's arms, the comfiest and warmest place she could find.

"Hey, Tanaka…" Joe whispered. "Do you notice something…different, with Chiyo?"

Sakaki looked over at the sleeping teenager, and did notice something…

"Her hair…" Sakaki noted. "She cut it."

Joe looked. "Oh yeah… geez, how did I not catch that… she cut it incredibly short…"

"Typical guy. Can't ever catch that a girl cut her hair." Tomo said with a nasty grin.

Joe just gave an angry glance in Tomo's direction before returning his attention to Chiyo.

"Even as a teenager… I still see a bit of innocence in her face…" Joe mumbled.

"What do you mean?" Kaorin asked.

Joe remained silent.

"Joe?" Sakaki asked.

"She…was my first real friend." Joe said in a low voice. "I'll…never forget all that she did for me…"

Sakaki sensed sadness from her husband. She gently reached out, and touched his arm to grab his attention. As Joe turned his head, she smiled at him.

No words needed to be spoken as Sakaki wrapped her arm around the front of Joe's body in a gentle comforting hug.

Joe gave a happy sigh as Sakaki nuzzled into his neck.

There seemed to be almost a romantic air… most of the kids asleep… a nice, roomy, private plane…

Kagura moved herself to the other side of Kaorin, and began snuggling into her neck, causing Kaorin to smile and even blush a bit.

Yomi was watching this scene before her when she suddenly felt Tomo nuzzling into her neck, causing her to blush a bit.

"T-Tomo…" Yomi whispered.

Tomo just kept nuzzling. "Oh, I know ya love it…"

But the romance was soon broken up by some noises coming from the bed.

"Aaah…A-Ayumu!! Your relatives… they're coming after me!!" Arata moaned, struggling in his sleep.

"Arata!! Run!! Hurry, don't let them get'cha!!" Osaka moaned in Arata's arms.

"Geez…what sort of nightmare is Osaka's relatives?" Kagura asked.

Everyone shrugged.

…

After a five hour plane trip, we arrive in America at 1 am on the same day

…

Upon getting close to landing, one of the secret service people went into the back to wake up Oprah. The parents took the time to wake up the children on the plane as well.

After Oprah had awoken, she got up in the plane, facing the Azu-group, and began to speak, while Jill translated it to Japanese.

"**Once we land, we're going put you guys up in a hotel that's close to the studio." **Oprah said, allowing time for Jill to translate. "**We ask that you don't speak to any of the press, as we want this to be exclusive."**

"**No problem there…"** Joe grumbled to himself.

That's when the pilot came on."**Ladies and Gentleman, we will soon be landing. Please sit down, fasten your seatbelts, and thank you for flying Air Force One."**

Everyone fastened in their seat belts as the plane began it's decent.

…

Upon landing and leaving the plane, the group had to look up at the sky.

"Holy crap!!" Tomo exclaimed. She then looked at her watch. "It's only 3 pm!! How the hell could it be so dark in America?!"

"Tomo-chan, there's a time difference between America and Japan." Chiyo said with a giggle.

"Indeed…" Joe pushed a button on his watch that showed him a secondary time, one that was different from the primary time. "Currently, it's 1 am here."

"Woah…" Tomo replied. She went to work on resetting her watch.

The group was taken by limos to the hotel they were staying at, while Oprah was taken elsewhere.

The group was checked into the hotel by some secret service men, and each family was roomed up in their own hotel rooms…

Mrs. Mizuhara and Jill would be sharing a room. Images haunted poor Yomi…

"Well, if it will make you feel any better, I could room with you and Tomo." Mrs. Mizuhara replied.

"Geez, Yomi, now YOU'RE doing your mom too?" Tomo asked with a grin.

Absolutely everyone laughed at that one.

…

During the day, the group mostly stayed in their hotel room, watching American TV shows. However, most of what was on wasn't any good… even for a Saturday…

Luckily, Joe, Tomo, and Kagura had been smart enough to bring video games, and thusly the time was passed a bit faster.

Though due to some jet lag, the group ended up going to sleep at about 8 am that morning.

…

That night, when everyone was awake, Chiyo sat on her bed, alone in her hotel room. There was a knock on the door.

Chiyo got up and answered it… and found Osaka standing outside.

"Mind if ah come in, Chiyo-chan?" Osaka asked.

"Sure, Osaka-san." Chiyo replied with a little smile.

Osaka walked into the room, and Chiyo closed the door.

"So…how are Arata-san and Pan-chan?" Chiyo asked.

"They're both playin' games." Osaka replied as she went to sit down on the bed.

"And what about you?" Chiyo asked, surprised that Osaka would be coming over to her room.

"Ah was worried about 'cha." Osaka said. "And Joe-chan was, too…"

"Why didn't he come in?" Chiyo asked.

"He saw me, an' knew ah would cheer ya up." Osaka replied with a smile.

Chiyo gave a small smile back.

"Ah been meanin' ta ask ya, Chiyo-chan…" Osaka said. "Why are ya stayin' in yer adult form? And why'd ya cut your hair?"

Chiyo sat down on the bed. "Because…I guess I feel like I should really stop living in the past… and really… grow up in a sense… and the haircut was just to make myself feel a little bit different."

"It's cause ya broke up with Shaun-chan, isn't it?" Osaka asked.

Chiyo gave a small grin. "No hiding it from you, huh?"

"Nah. We been friends for too long." Osaka said, giving a pleasant smile to Chiyo.

Chiyo then unexpectedly gave Osaka a hug. "Thank you, Osaka-san…"

Osaka hugged her back. "It was nothin'…Chiyo-chan."

After the hug was over, Osaka left Chiyo's room to go join the fun in the other rooms. Chiyo grabbed her card key, and went to join.

…

The next morning, everyone received a call at 8:30 am to tell them that some limos would pull up and be there for them at 9:30, to be on the show by 10.

As you can imagine, everyone groaned. They had to remember that due to time zone differences, their night was an American morning.

…

But we join Osaka and Arata, as they both try to wake up that morning…

Osaka finds herself in the shower, trying to wake herself up by splashing water on her face.

"Gaaah…it ain't workin'…" Osaka moaned, giving out a huge yawn.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Osaka said, trying not to sound tired in the process.

The door opened, then closed. Osaka heard someone undressing…

"Eh? Who's there?" Osaka asked.

"Just me, Ayumu." Arata replied. "I'm gonna take a shower with you."

"Why ya gonna do that?" Osaka asked.

"'cause according to the book, we're supposed to take showers together…" Arata replied. "I don't know why…"

"Huh…" Osaka replied.

"I'm coming in." Arata said, before pulling back the shower curtain, and stepping in, then closing it back up.

There was a quiet moment…

"Now what?" Osaka asked.

"I don't know…" Arata replied honestly. "Ya wanna just… continue?"

"Ok then." Osaka replied, grabbing the shampoo.

Osaka used some, then handed it to Arata, who did the same.

And Arata couldn't help but notice…

"Your belly is poking out a little more, Ayumu." Arata said with a small smile.

"Yup." Osaka said with a big smile on her face. "And I'm finally over throwin' up, too!"

"Well, that's good." Arata replied.

The shower continued on as both worked to get themselves clean.

"Hey, Arata…" Osaka said as she was just about finished. "What do you think our child will be like?"

Arata rinsed out his hair, then went into thought.

"Probably like the both of us…" Arata said with a smile. "Always thinking about stuff."

Osaka rinsed out her hair, then looked at Arata before looking up at the ceiling, and giving a far-off smile. "Yeah…that would be nice…"

Arata and Osaka smiled at each other before turning off the shower water, and getting out to dry off.

…

At that moment, the limo's pulled up outside the building.

…

Author's Notes: Let me say again…

I HATE DOING TIME DIFFERENCES!!

They screw with my mind, dammit!! ARRRRRGH!!

Anyway, for those of you who may not know what 'jet lag' is, it's when people who travel cross time zones, and their sleep time gets screwed up, due to the time being completely different in a different zone. And usually, the bigger the jump in zones, the bigger the jet lag.

And finally, Arata referenced the book in saying that 'they were supposed to shower together.' What it really says is if you can't have sex (say, complications with your pregnancy, for example), then you should find other ways of intimacy, and it gave a specific example of taking a shower together.

Of course, for Arata and Osaka, neither of them really think about intimacy or sex that much (normally, anyway). So all it ended up being was a shower taken together.

Next Chapter: Reveal to the world: Evil Corporation


	132. Reveal to the World: Evil Corporation

Reveal to the World: Evil Corporation

…

And so, the Azu-crew (Jill and Mrs. Mizuhara included) loaded up into limo's (now through a horde of news reporters) and were driven out to Oprah's show.

They all now sat backstage as hundreds of people sat down to make the 'studio audience'.

It was nerve-wracking, to say the least.

"THIS IS GONNA BE SO FRICKIN' AWESOME!!"

Well… for most of them, anyway…

It seemed like a dream come true for Tomo, who was even more energetic than usual, despite being awake when she should be asleep.

Of course, most everyone was wide awake now. The adrenaline rush of being on the show itself was enough to keep them awake…

All of the kids were nervous, of course. It was to be expected…

But none more so than Nekosa. She was already reliving the experiences from home due to the trip here, and now even more so with the secret service guys running around…

Poor Nekosa was curled up, shaking in Sakaki's arms.

"There there. It's ok…" Sakaki tried soothing, but to no avail. Nekosa was just too nervous.

"You think Funari-mama will see me on television?" Koyomiko asked.

"It's possible." Yomi said. "If she were to turn in to the Oprah show…"

"I hope she does…" Koyomiko whispered.

"Well, maybe if you pray, she'll hear you." Yomi said.

_She did show me her wind powers, after all…_Yomi thought. _Maybe the winds will bring her Koyomiko's prayer…_

Koyomiko took all the information in, and then began to pray hard.

…

Funari, lying on her couch sleeping, suddenly awoke with a start.

"Koyomiko?!"

Funari closed her eyes, and was spiritually lifted again…

Then she snapped right back.

"Oh!" Funari grabbed her remote, and turned her TV on, changing the channel to Oprah. And seeing as how it hadn't started, she then decided to telephone James.

"James, turn on your TV and watch Oprah!!" Funari exclaimed.

"But Spongebob is on…" James moaned.

"Koharu-chan and Nekosa-chan are going to be on Oprah!!" Funari yelled.

"OH!!" There was silence for a moment. "What channel is Oprah on?"

Funari growled at him before giving him the channel number.

…

And just then, the Oprah show started up. The world now watched their televisions, all of them turned to this special broadcast.

"Well…here we go…" Joe said with a big heavy breath.

…

(Begin English)

"Welcome." Oprah began. "Today we have a lot of special guests… a few girls whose lives were impacted by a corporation concentrated right here in America… and in fact, a few children… created by this corporation, and then given to the girls who's DNA was used to create these kids. First off, I would like to introduce you all to my translator for this episode; she'll be translating the Japanese for those that need it. All of you, please say hello to Jill."

Clapping ran through the crowd as Jill waved to everyone.

"Now, then… let's begin the show by introducing two girls who never actually saw true love in each other until a child from the corporation showed up at their door. Everyone, let's all greet Tomo Takino, Koyomi Mizuhara, and Koyomiko, their daughter."

Clapping went through the crowd. Yomi and Koyomiko walked out calmly to the stage, but Tomo had to make a spectacle of herself, making different poses in front of the camera.

"My god, Tomo…" Joe moaned.

…

James could have sworn he heard Funari cheering from all the way across the street.

…

"So, welcome girls." Oprah said.

"Thank you, Oprah." Yomi replied in her best English.

"Kaa-san is really good with English. Mama's not though" Koyomiko said happily.

"Hey!" Tomo yelled.

The crowd laughed.

"So, tell me a little bit about what happened." Oprah said.

And Yomi went on, telling the story of what happened with Koyomiko while Jill translated. Yomi told everything, from Tomo going out looking for a new job to support the child, to getting pregnant with Koyomiko's sister.

"So… about the ex-boyfriend you used to have, Tomo…" Oprah said (Jill translating for Tomo) "…he vanished after he kidnapped and tortured your daughter?"

There was complete and utter silence. The Azu-group knew what happened… and they had all sworn to keep it secret…

"Hai." Tomo replied after a moment. No one needed a translation for it, they all knew.

"My mama protected me because she loves me." Koyomiko said. She got down off of her chair, and went over to Tomo, and gave her a hug.

The entire crowd went "Awwwwwwwwwwww…"

"We'll be right back after this commercial break." Oprah said.

The camera continued to focus on Koyomiko, who had now moved to hug Yomi.

…

After the commercial break, Koharu, Kaorin, and Kagura all got their chance.

At first, it was the usual questions. Kaorin made the point of saying that she and Kagura had both found love in each other, since Kaorin had been suffering from the heartbreak of her first love not being interested in girls, and Kagura's old boyfriend (it was pointed out that Kagura had not gone to prison because it had been ruled self-defense). Then Koharu showed up, and it was like having a kid all their own without having to go through pregnancy and the first few years of child birth.

"So…I hear Koharu got in a fight at school…" Oprah said.

As soon as Jill had translated it, both Kagura and Kaorin gave a look to Koharu, as she hung her head in shame.

"Do you think maybe she wouldn't have gotten into the fight had she been raised by you the first few years of her life?" Oprah asked.

"No…I think she still would have gotten into the fight anyway…" Kagura said. "… She's got my stubbornness to never give up, and she's got a bit of Kaorin's short temper."

Kaorin remained silent at this. She had almost spoken up, but she knew Kagura had hit the point right on the head.

"I see…" Oprah said once Jill was done translating. She then looked to the camera. "When we come back, we're going to meet one child who went through far more horror than the others did, when she witnessed her own adoptive parents murdered because she was living with them. Stay tuned."

As this happened, Kagura began to feel nervous. She wasn't quite sure if Pan could handle this sort of thing…

…

And in the next segment, Kagura, Kaorin, and Koharu all remained on the stage as Osaka, Arata, and Pan all came out onto the stage, and sat down. Pan had pretty much hid behind Osaka until they got to their seats, then she joined up in a seat with Koharu.

Questions were the usual. Osaka and Arata had adjusted well to Pan living mostly with them, still visiting Kagura and Kaorin every once in a while. Koharu said she loved her sister, and even gave her a hug, which made the crowd go 'Awwwwwwww' once more. Pan was mostly silent through it all, save for questions directed at her. Even when the painful memory of her parents was brought up, she could only smile when she saw herself surrounded by loving family.

"And… you still have no clue how you suddenly appeared in Japan?" Oprah asked.

Pan simply shook her head. Truth was, no one had any clue as to how Pan got there…

"Well, up next, we'll finally reveal to you the cat-girl who was created illegally within the corporation and thought to be dead, only to be discovered in Japan by the world, still completely alive and healthy." Oprah said to the camera. "We'll be asking everyone's opinion on the cat-girl, and what life is like for her now. We'll show you that, after these messages."

As the crowd applauded, the Sakaki family was even more nervous… it was finally their time…

…

Coming back, everyone sat out on the chairs, save for the Sakaki family, who was still in the back.

"Welcome back." Oprah said. "I now welcome Dr. Chiyo Mihama, a child prodigy who graduated from Japanese High School at just the age of 12."

Applauding as Chiyo simply smiled and waved.

"So, Dr. Chiyo, you were with these girls when the kids suddenly showed up at their door?" Oprah asked.

"Yes, I was." Chiyo said. "At first, I was rather shocked… I had never heard of Genetic Fusion before that time… I thought of all the wonderful things that could possibly happen with this technology… and then I found out it was being used by this corporation to create children as weapons, and I was just horrified. I wondered what these kids went through… how horrible and unloving it must be… and then I found out that many of these kids had been considered failures. That must have been horrible to their self-esteem if they lived!!"

The crowd remained silent at Chiyo's speech.

"Wow… sounds like you really thought this through." Oprah replied after a moment.

"I have… and Nekosa… the one who we're about to introduce… is proof that no corporation should ever be allowed to create children for weapons. It draws the attention of some of the vilest people on the face of the planet." Chiyo said. "Now… don't get me wrong… all of the kids are adorable, and Nekosa-chan is quite unique… and I know that they changed all of these girls' lives for the better… but you have to wonder just what sort of horrible things the corporation did to those who weren't lucky enough to escape death like they were."

"Indeedly so, Chiyo. Very well spoken." Oprah complimented.

Backstage, Joe took his wife's hand. Nekosa was being held by Sakaki in one arm.

(In Japanese)

"You really shouldn't be doing any heavy lifting…" Joe said to Sakaki.

"I'm fine." Sakaki responded back.

A second passed, but it seemed like an hour. Joe took in a heavy breath.

"You nervous?" Joe asked.

Sakaki squeezed his hand. Yeah, she was nervous.

"Hey…"

Sakaki looked up at him, and his lips met hers in a kiss.

"I'll be here for you." Joe said with a smile.

Sakaki gave a small smile, but still couldn't help but feel incredibly nervous.

(End Japanese)

"Well, here she is, we've waited long enough, let's bring her out." Oprah said. "Everyone, please welcome Tanaka Sakaki, her husband Joe, and Nekosa."

The clapping started. Joe walked out, still holding Sakaki's hand. Sakaki still had the frightened Nekosa in her arms.

As they came out, Nekosa immediately brought attention to herself. Nekosa could see out into the crowd, and it made her even more nervous.

As the parents sat down, Sakaki tried to get Nekosa to sit on her lap, but Nekosa didn't seem to want to. Finally, with the help of Joe, Nekosa sat on Sakaki's lap, Sakaki's arms wrapped around her.

…

A boy and his mother were sitting on a couch in their living room, watching the show on their TV.

"Hey, Mom, who's that girl?" The boy asked.

"She's Nekosa. She was created by a corporation that makes kids." The mom said, not taking her eyes off the TV.

The boy gave a small smile. "I like her… she's pretty."

…

"I just want to say, thank you again for coming" Oprah said.

"It's…really not a problem, Oprah." Joe responded.

"So… tell me, Joe… I mean, this girl suddenly shows up on your doorstep and says she's Sakaki's child. How did you feel about it, initially?" Oprah asked.

"Well… you know, first thought, probably like any of the other girls, is shock, to tell the truth." Joe said. His hand would have been shaking, had Sakaki's hand not been squeezing it. "I mean…this whole Genetic Fusion thing… and finding out that their DNA was used to create kids… but it was more shock for me… as I had always wanted a few kids of my own… but, you know…"

Joe looked happily to his wife.

"…when I saw the look on Tanaka's face, how happy she was with this…incredibly adorable cat girl… and how she protected her afterwards… I really came to accept Nekosa as being… a girl that I could love and cherish like a daughter."

'Awwwwwwwwwwwww's went through the crowd.

"So, now… is there anything different that goes into raising a cat-girl like Nekosa?" Oprah asked.

"A little." Joe said. "She doesn't use a litter box, if that's what you're asking."

The crowd laughed.

"But actually… the only real difference we've noticed with raising Nekosa is that, most recently, she began clawing, like a lot of cats do." Joe said. "And, with that… all we had to do was get a scratching post, and we haven't had any problems whatsoever."

"Now… Tanaka, I know that your mother has cat allergies." Oprah said. "Has there been any problem with that?"

Jill translated for Sakaki. Sakaki simply shook her head.

"No… care to elaborate?" Oprah asked.

"She's hypoallergenic." Sakaki replied in a quiet tone.

Joe had to smile. He could see that Sakaki, out in front of a huge crowd like this, was back to her quiet self.

"I see…" Oprah said. "So… anything else that you girls would like to add?"

All the girls shook their heads.

"Nekosa-chan's a good friend." Koyomiko said with a smile.

"She's pretty much like Koyomiko is to me… I sometimes don't even notice that the cat-features are there." Koharu said.

"You stepped on my tail once." Nekosa finally said.

"It was an accident!!" Koharu retorted.

The crowd was laughing.

"Oh, and you have GOT to see this…" Joe remarked. He let go of Sakaki's hand, and went searching through his pocket. "She is just plain adorable…"

Joe pulled out something all cats would love… a small ball of cat-nip.

And immediately, Nekosa was entranced.

Joe threw the ball into the air a couple of times to get Nekosa's full attention on it. The crowd could only watch as Nekosa's head bobbed up and down with the ball.

Then Joe threw it across the floor. Nekosa pounced out of Sakaki's lap, and right onto the catnip ball, her tail swaying wildly.

The crowd laughed, and applauded.

…

The boy who had been watching curled up, wrapping his arms around his knees, blushing indecently.

"She's cute…" The boy remarked, his smile slightly bigger.

The mother giggled. "Well, if you really want to meet her someday, get to studying, and learn Japanese."

"Why learn Japanese?" The boy asked.

"Because that's where she lives" The mother replied. The show then ended, and the mother stopped recording the DVD, and popped it out, handing it to the boy. "Play this for yourself, and always remember her when you're studying."

"Thanks, Mom." The boy said. He gave her a quick hug before running back upstairs.

The mother sighed. "Boys… changing so much in this age of technology…"

…

And so, the passing of Nekosa's big secret came and went. The news crews got what they wanted, and would leave the Sakaki family alone. All of the parents felt so much closer to their kids after that too…

However, there was one big problem…

Due to time differences, despite leaving America on a plane at noon on Sunday… they arrived in Japan at 2 am on Monday.

Most of them were sleeping as the plane landed. They all went home, with the parents placing their kids in their futons, and kissing their foreheads before going off to bed to sleep some more…

After all, they all had work the next day…

…

Author's notes: Watchers and posters of 'A Fine Old Day' should know just who that was watching Nekosa on his television.

Just goes to prove, I love my kids too much to let them only exist in one place.

Sadly, we won't see him for a while… but know that he will exist here soon!!

Next Chapter: Equal Balance of Ying and Yang


	133. Equal Balance of Ying and Yang

Equal Balance of Ying and Yang

Note: Minor crossover right at the end.

…

The next day was a slight hell for the Azu-group that had to work… and those that had to go to school.

Luckily, for Nekosa, things got far better.

She walked into school, and most of the other kids were far nicer. Saying things such as "Hey, you made my mom laugh when you chased the kitty ball." And other things.

One person in particular actually walked up to her in the hall.

"Ah, Harris-sensei!" Nekosa said with a smile.

"Hey, Nekosa-chan." Will said with a smile. "I saw you on TV…and I wanted to apologize for my misunderstanding of how…unique a person you really are."

"I-it's ok…" Nekosa said, blushing cutely. "Everyone really kinda did…"

"Well, know that I'll treat you more like I do all of my other students…" Will said.

"O-ok!" Nekosa replied with a smile.

_Still gonna have to try and get used to the cat-features, though…_ Will thought. _So damn cute…_

…

Time came to pass… those that knew Nekosa, and saw her everyday came to treat her like a normal student.

Nekosa began to actually like school. It was a way for her to interact with other kids, and in fact, most of the people she talked to were rather nice.

Pan came to know Nekosa as well, since they saw each other every day in homeroom.

Koharu, however, was coming home cranky. Being in class with her most hated rival was driving her patience thin.

The same could be said of Sachiko…though, she was already mostly cranky to begin with.

Koyomiko continued to study hard, in hoping of catching up to her friends to be with them.

Arata continued to help Osaka through her pregnancy… and having to avoid Osaka whenever these sudden sexual desires suddenly sprang up.

But Joe… he was worried. He would be leaving his pregnant wife at home…without him…

So, he did the thing he was going to dread the most…

Swallowing hard, he knocked on the door…

And luck was just not on his side…for Daichi opened the door.

"Hello." Daichi replied, his cold glare piercing Joe's very soul.

"H-h-hi…" Joe said, already beginning to shake. "U-u-um…c-c-can I c-c-come in?"

"Where's my daughter?" Daichi asked.

"Sh-sh-she's at home…t-t-taking a nap." Joe replied, his shaking becoming noticeable.

Daichi's stare became even harder as he took two steps towards Joe. Joe remained frozen on the spot.

"Do you not fear death?" Daichi asked.

"I DO!!" Joe yelled, then ran for his life, screaming all the way.

"Who was that, honey?" Jessica asked, walking to the door drying a plate.

"No one, dear." Daichi replied, turning around to face his wife with a smile.

…

Catching his breath, Joe then went to Plan B.

He knocked on the door. And Kagura was the one to answer.

"Hey, Kagura… is…Kaorin home?" Joe asked.

"Nope. She's off at some Astronomy meeting for the government, concerning some LHC thing…" Kagura said. "What did you need her for?"

"Actually, Kagura…it's something I need the both of you for…" Joe replied. "May I come in?"

"Sure." Kagura said, stepping aside.

"Thank you." Joe said, stepping in, and taking his shoes off at the door.

…

The two now sat on the couch.

"So… what'cha need?" Kagura asked.

"I… need someone to check up on my wife from time to time… make sure she's ok… get her the stuff she needs while I'm gone at my job." Joe replied. His tone of voice sounded incredibly sincere, like one of a man who has run out of options.

"So…basically, take care of Sakaki?" Kagura asked.

Joe nodded. "It would be…quite a challenge."

"A challenge, eh?" Kagura asked, a small grin forming. "Alright!! Let's see if Kaorin and I can take on this challenge!!"

Joe smiled. "Thank you… so much."

"Oh, it's no problem!!" Kagura replied with a grin. "Taking care of my high school rival… this is gonna be fun!!"

"That's the spirit!!" Joe replied, still feeling happy inside.

…

One final stop Joe made that day… was at the Miyamoto household. He didn't need to knock, for he already saw Shaun, sitting on the curb.

(Begin English)

"Hey, Shaun…"

"Hey, Joe." Shaun replied in a rather depressed tone.

Joe sat down on the curb next to him. "You wanna talk about it?"

"There's nothing really to talk about." Shaun said, giving a small, weak smile. "We broke up with each other…we're still friends."

"It just hurts, huh?" Joe asked.

"Yeah…it does…" Shaun replied. "Two relationships that haven't gone well for me…"

"Hey, crap happens." Joe replied, putting a hand on Shaun's shoulder. "You just have to pick yourself up from the down time, and work your way back up to the top!"

"Yeah…that's what my dad keeps telling me…" Shaun said. "And I know I will eventually…just gotta… overcome this pain in my heart…"

"Well…if you ever need anything, I'm here for you." Joe said.

Shaun grinned. "Can I have your wife?"

"Not in a million years." Joe replied with a smile.

A small laugh was exchanged between the two.

(End English)

…

And the time would come to pass too fast for Joe… he would head off to his job one morning… and not come back for the next few months…

…

(Timeskip: October 1st, Night time)

…

Sakaki lay in bed… unable to sleep…

The warmth by her side was missing.

She tossed in bed. Still nothing.

Sakaki sighed heavily. Depression took over almost immediately.

She could almost feel like this was what the next two and a half months was going to be like for her…

…

Two others, meanwhile, were having the time of their lives.

Tomo was panting heavily, with Yomi right next to her, doing the same.

"You see, Tomo? You let me get going, and I'll let you have the time of your life." Yomi said in between pants.

"My god… that was wild…and awesome…" Tomo said, still smiling goofily at the ceiling.

Yomi smiled at her, then reached down under the blankets, and rubbed Tomo's poking belly.

"I love you…Tomo." Yomi said.

Tomo turned her head, and looked at Yomi. "I love you too."

The two leaned into each other, and shared a passionate kiss.

…

Kagura and Kaorin were fast asleep in their bed… when a sudden knock woke up Kaorin.

"Huh?" Kaorin looked at her clock, which read 12:15 am. "Who could be knocking at this time of night?"

Kaorin shook Kagura awake. The two made their way downstairs and to the door, with Kagura holding a baseball bat.

Kaorin nodded, and Kagura nodded back. Then Kaorin opened the door.

"Oh…Pan…" Kaorin said. She then opened the door all the way to reveal the little girl. "What are you doing up so late? And by yourself out here?"

"I couldn't sleep…" Pan started. "So… I knocked on Ayu-mama's bedroom door…but she wouldn't open it… and it was locked…"

"Awww…c'mon." Kaorin said, taking the little girl in her arms. She then turned back to Kagura. "I think you need to have a talk with Osaka-san…"

"I know I do… but can it wait 'til morning?" Kagura asked.

"Yes, it can…" Kaorin replied. "Would you like to sleep with us, Pan?"

There was no reply. Pan was already asleep in Kaorin's arms.

"Awwww…she's so cute when she's sleeping." Kagura said, moving the hair out of Pan's face.

Kaorin giggled.

Kagura shut the front door, and relocked it. Then Kaorin put Pan in her own bed, before she and Kagura returned to their own and went back to sleep.

…

The next day, Kagura would have a talk with Osaka. Osaka would feel horrible about it, and apologize to Pan, and the two would share in a hug, leaving Kagura once again amazed at how good a parent Osaka could be.

…

We now timeskip again… Months would pass, right to December, and bellies would begin to show for the three pregnant Azu-girls.

It was colder for the kids, so of course, their parents would buy them winter outfits to compensate for the cold.

Koyomiko was still studying her butt off. Tomo said the fruits of all of her studying would begin to show after this year.

But in that studying, there came a price…

Yomi was bored out of her mind. Tomo was doing extra paperwork for everyone to compensate for the fact that she would be gone for the next month on Maternity leave, and Koyomiko was studying.

Yomi sighed heavily, and instead left the house, leaving Koyomiko to study.

Where she walked…she wasn't quite sure WHY she came to this house… last time she had been here, she had been scarred for life…

But this time, she knocked on the door.

"Oh my, Koyomi! This is a pleasant surprise." Mrs. Mizuhara said, opening the door.

"Hey, Mom" Yomi replied, stepping in and taking off her shoes. "Is Jill around?"

"'fraid not." Mrs. Mizuhara replied. "She went back to America to pack her belongings."

"She's moving in with you?" Yomi asked.

Mrs. Mizuhara giggled. "Secret"

Yomi sighed.

Mrs. Mizuhara just continued to smile. "And Koyomi… I wanted to apologize for what you saw last time…"

"It's not your fault I saw that, Mom… I barged in without knocking." Yomi said.

Mrs. Mizuhara's smile remained sincere. "Oh, Koyomi… you've grown up so much…"

Yomi smiled back. "Yeah…I know… thanks for being there for me, mom."

Mother and daughter shared in a warm hug.

"Oh my… haven't had one of these in a while…" Mrs. Mizuhara said.

"Except from Jill, maybe?" Yomi asked with a grin.

"Possibly. Though no where as close as my daughters." Mrs. Mizuhara replied with a giggle.

Finally the two pulled back.

"So, what brings you over here?" Mrs. Mizuhara asked.

"Well, Tomo's working extra hours to cover for her maternity leave, and Koyomiko's studying…and I'm bored." Yomi replied.

"Oh, so I'm just a scapegoat for when you're bored, huh?" Mrs. Mizuhara asked.

"N-No!" Yomi replied hastily.

"I know, honey. I'm just kidding." Mrs. Mizuhara replied with a giggle.

Yomi's hastened face turned to a small smile.

"So…shall we talk?" Mrs. Mizuhara said, leading Yomi to the kitchen.

…

Kaorin would happily be there for Sakaki. It still made her heart race whenever Sakaki walked by her or thanked her… even though Kaorin was still over her love…

Kagura helped out when she could, always feeling like she was in some sort of competition to help out the pregnant female.

But both Kaorin and Kagura could tell… Sakaki was depressed, and she missed her husband.

And neither of them knew… Sakaki would squeeze his pillow at night as she lied in bed… Nekosa would have a nightmare every now and then, and Sakaki would allow her to sleep with her, but that was about the only comfort she got during those cold months.

"Okaasan…" Nekosa asked one night after a nightmare of hers. "I miss Otousan."

Sakaki had to fight to keep from breaking down into tears. "Me too, Nekosa… me too."

…

And neither of them knew… for the first few nights that Joe was away… he couldn't sleep either…

And one of his first nightmares… was as he came home… his house, Nekosa, and Sakaki… were simply not there.

He woke up, and started to cry.

…

And at Azumanga High school, things were stirring up…

Osaka walked into the teacher's lounge, breathing incredibly hard. "Mah god…it's getting' harder and harder to even make it to the lounge…"

"My… must be time for your maternity leave, then." Fumitsuki said. She had been the teacher who had replaced Tomo when she quit.

"Ah guess it must be…" Osaka said. With a heavy sigh, she sat down in her chair, and relaxed. "Thank god too… ah'm becomin' exhausted…"

"So, when's the wedding to your fiancé?" Fumitsuki asked.

"It's comin' next month." Osaka replied with a slight smile. Her eyelids began to droop.

"Oh my… and when are you expecting your baby?" Fumitsuki asked.

"It's comin' next month." Osaka replied.

"Oh… geez, aren't you worried that your baby and marriage are happening so closely together?" Fumitsuki asked.

"It's comin' next month…" Osaka replied.

"Huh?" Fumitsuki stood up, and could see from standing up that Osaka had fallen asleep.

Fumitsuki sighed. Osaka had an excuse, she was pregnant…however…

Fumitsuki looked over at Yukari's desk, where Yukari lay sleeping as well.

"What is it with this school?" Fumitsuki asked.

"It's comin' next month…" Osaka replied in her sleep.

…

Author's notes: Poor Osaka XD

So yeah, after two years of Joe coming to love his wife, for the both of them being their for each other, and now going to have twins with each other, one must wonder if he's really willing to go through with his job anymore. Even if it does mean taking a nine-to-five year-round normal job.

But now we finally get to a chapter that I know a lot of people love, one that is known for making ADR famous (or infamous)…

Next Chapter: Nightmares 3


	134. Nightmares 3

Nightmares 3

Note: Remember, these are all dream sequences, so ANYTHING can happen.

Note2: Anything in parentheses () happens outside the dream sequences.

Note3: Another reference, though this one is better known…

…

Joe walked into his house. As he removed his shoes, he could hear Sakaki screaming out pleasurably…like she was having sex.

Horror hit Joe's heart…she had been cheating on him…

Joe slowly walked his way through the house… the noises coming from his room getting louder the closer he got…

Finally…he reached his door…

And he slammed it open.

"AAAGH!!" Sakaki yelled. "U-Um…th-this isn't what it looks like!!"

Joe was in shock.

Sitting under the blankets next to Sakaki… was Tadaichi-san… with a cigarette in his mouth.

"THE DOG?! CHIYO'S DOG?!"

"U-um…" Sakaki was at a lost for words.

Suddenly, two little kids popped out from underneath the blankets. They had human faces, but they had floppy dog ears on the top of their heads.

"HI!!" They both said.

(Joe freaked out a bit after that dream… but he calmed himself down, since he knew that that could never happen…

After all, Tadaichi-san was neutered.)

…

"Woo!! Magical Land!! Magical Land!!" Tomo squealed out.

"Yes, Tomo, we're going to Magical Land." Joe replied, obviously ticked off at Tomo's usual antics.

The bus that they were riding stopped in front of Magical Land, and they all got out.

"C'mon, let's go on that new ride, the Time Warp!!" Tomo yelled.

At that moment, some one ran by singing "_Let's do the time warp…AGAAAAAAAAAIN!!"_

"What the hell is up with that guy?" Joe asked.

And when he looked back…the guy was gone.

But he no longer cared, as everyone got on the Time Warp ride.

"So…how do you start it up?" Tomo asked.

Her answer came when the ride started up on its own.

A few moments in, and bright lights flashed all around. They finally stopped, and the group found themselves in pre-historic times!!

"Woah…AWESOME!!" Tomo yelled.

The entire group got out, and ran around. Tomo noticed a beach, and everyone ran down, stripping themselves of their clothing, and finding their swimsuits underneath.

While dinosaurs roamed around, the group swam without a care in the world, the water was wonderful!

It was then that Joe spotted something out in the water…

Was that…it was!! It was an oil tanker!!

The thought hit him… the oil companies have gone back in time to siphon the oil out of the past, in order to have more to sell in the future!!

Suddenly, a bunch of military helicopters came over the tree-line overlooking the beach.

Joe figured he knew too much… so he began swam out of the water, and started running for dear life.

Eventually, he stumbled upon a two-way roadway, on the edge of a cliff overlooking a large town on the coast. Looking around, he spotted a Mini Cooper S, the perfect getaway vehicle!!

Strangely, the car was already started, so Joe got in, and tore down the road at full speed. The choppers and cop cars are hot on his tail, and many of them are shooting at him. He wished he had a gun at this point…

He continued to race along the road, dodging traffic and pedestrians, until he got into town, and spotted a roadblock. Pulling his best James Bond stunt, he clipped the curb, got up on two wheels, and made it through!

He then swerved through a carwash, losing most of his pursuers. He then swung around another curve, then pulled another James Bond stunt by pulling on the E-brake and parallel parking perfectly.

He then calmly got out of the car, casually walked up to the ice cream shop that he had parked in front of, and he ordered a sundae.

(Joe woke up craving peanut butter for some odd reason.)

…

Joe was floating about… almost as if he was a spirit…

He came upon an apartment complex…he floated right in…

He floated about and came to one apartment room that just drew him in. So, he floated right through the door…

He floated about in there, looking for someone…any sort of life, really…

He spotted Mayaa, fast asleep on the couch, giving sign that Sakaki was present somewhere.

A soft moan was heard coming from a bedroom.

"Oh, no…" Joe thought. "Not another sex dream…"

Joe floated to the bedroom door, and floated right through it.

"Oh, Kagura…" Sakaki moaned.

"Oh, Sakaki…" Kagura moaned back.

Joe's eyes went wide, and a huge blush came across his face. While his husband side screamed out in pain and agony, his perverted side said "Now that's hot…"

This was not just simple kissing Joe was watching either. His perverted side would have kept quiet at that…

No, what he was witnessing was full-blown lesbian sex.

Suddenly, Sakaki stopped. "Kagura…do you feel like we're being watched?"

Joe suddenly felt the urge to fly away…but he was stuck solid right where he was…

"Actually…I do…" Kagura said.

Both of them looked right at Joe.

(Joe snapped awake… and fell back to the comfy couch his work had. That had been one weird dream…)

…

Joe found himself floating about again…

He came upon another house…though this one was rather different in a way…

As he floated through, he spotted the same tell-tale sign of Sakaki…

Mayaa is sitting this time on the back of the couch.

As Joe floated about, he floated right into a room…

(…and snapped awake. For the mental image of Sakaki making out with Osaka would haunt him forever.)

…

Joe walked around, looking on the ground…

Sakaki then came up. "What are you looking for, honey?"

"I'm looking for my brain." Joe said. "My boss told me I needed an open mind, and when I opened my mind, my brain fell out.

"Your brain…" Tomo asked (who was suddenly magically standing there) "Your brain…Oh, THAT must be what I ate last night that's bothering my stomach this morning!"

Tomo gave a huge wildcat grin before running off, Joe hot on her tail.

"GRAAAAH!!" Joe yelled. "GIVE IT BACK!! I KILL YOU!!"

Suddenly, Yomi jumped in the way, glaring down angrily at Joe.

"Joe…" Yomi growled.

Joe looked up at Yomi, tears streaming down his face. "She ate my brain!! How am I supposed to work now?!"

"But it wasn't on purpose…" Tomo replied innocently.

"Well…" Yomi replied. "You just cook up a new brain."

"Ahh!! Good thing!!" Osaka stood by a large kettle. "Ah just managed to steal this one from Chiyo-chan! This'll do for you!!"

And Osaka took out a large brain.

(Joe sat straight up, sweating profusely)

…

Joe walked into Osaka's house, to see Arata and Osaka lying underneath their favorite kotatsu.

"I've got a question…" Joe said. "Why do you guys like to lie under that thing so much?"

No response…

So Joe decided to instead take action himself. He grabbed the kotatsu, and flipped it over.

Wires from the kotatsu were attached to Osaka and Arata, charging them up.

"It seems we have been discovered…" Osaka said without opening her eyes. "No matter. Let us annihilate this cretin."

"Indeed." Arata replied.

Both Osaka and Arata's eyes opened, and looked right at Joe.

ZAP!!

Laser's shot out of both sets of eyes, disintegrating Joe's body.

(Joe snapped awake… and almost wondered if this was why Osaka always had her crazy theories and such…maybe because she also had nightmares like that…)

…

Joe was walking through a large part of Tokyo… though for some odd reason… all the girls looked incredibly…young. But…creepily young.

And what was even worse… all of these girls had crazy-colored hair…

Green-hair… purple hair…pink hair… there was no way all of this was natural!!

Suddenly, a girl with long blue hair stood right in front of him.

"When you eat a choco-cornet, which end do you start out on?"

And to Joe's horror… this little girl launched off into a 20-minute explanation of which end she ate out of, differences between the two…

(Joe woke up screaming… then when he explained his nightmare to a co-worker… he became slightly horrified that there was an anime that was related to his nightmare…)

…

Joe found himself in the middle of Tokyo.

Chiyo, Osaka, Tomo, and Kagura all came out, and walked towards him in four separate directions.

"Hey, guys!! S'up?" Joe asked with a smile.

_(GONG!!_)

Kagura started panting heavily.

"Um…guys?" Joe asked nervously.

"_Choose your destiny_." Tomo said in a deep voice.

"Huh?"

"_Flawless…victory_" Chiyo said in the same deep voice.

"Guys…this isn't funny…" Joe said, sweating a bit now.

"_Choose your destiny…_" Osaka said, still deep voiced.

Joe gulped.

"_Flawless…victory._" Kagura said.

"_MORTAL COMBAT!!_" Sakaki screamed from a roof.

"Tanaka… tell them to stop!! I'm seriously frightened here!!" Joe yelled.

Joe looked around, as the four people who had started this took a fighter's stance.

Then Sakaki signaled, in the same deep voice…

"_Fight!_"

Tomo charged right at Joe, and punched him hard. As Joe wheeled back, Kagura charged up, and kicked him upwards.

Osaka then charged up, and kicked him even further up… then Kagura, Tomo, and Osaka all took turns kicking him up until he was far in the air…

Joe, beaten and bloodly, looked and saw Chiyo floating there with her pigtails flapping.

"_MORTAL COMBAT!!_" Chiyo yelled.

Then she attacked…

38 HIT COMBO!!

Then Joe was hit by Tomo in the back, sent flying to Kagura, who then hit him to Osaka, who then hit him back at Chiyo, who slammed him downwards.

"_Excellent._" Sakaki said in a deep tone of voice.

Joe saw the ground coming at him faster…faster…faster…

(Joe woke up as he fell off of the couch. "Damn…when the hell was the last time I played Mortal combat?")

…

Joe was watching TV when he suddenly heard the doorbell ring.

Joe got up, and answered the door. He saw that no one was there, but there was a beautiful flower in a pot.

"Oh wow… such a nice flower…" Joe commented with a smile. He went to the flower, and bent down to examine it.

Just then, Joe saw this strange woman standing across the street… she had a big N on her shirt, with blue jeans and white shoes.

"Hey, did you give me this flower?!" Joe yelled.

The woman nodded, giving an innocent smile.

"Thanks!!" Joe responded, still bending down and examining the flower.

Just then, a small butterfly came flapping up.

"Hey, look at the cute little butterfly…" Joe responded.

The butterfly landed on the flower.

KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!

The woman stood there, now grinning quite evilly. Yukari in a witch costume came up.

"You owe me twenty bucks." Yukari said with a smirk.

(Joe woke with a start. "Wait…why would someone want to kill me?"

He just shrugged, then got up to get to work)

…

(As a co-worker walked by Joe on this one night, the co-worker did a double take. He could have almost sworn that he saw the nightmare headband glow…)

Joe walked through a place…that had no background at all.

"Well…now what the heck?…where is everything?"

Suddenly, a giant…cat…thing…floated down in front of him.

Joe felt himself suddenly get restrained by chains that just popped out of the ground and grabbed hold of his ankles and wrists.

"Hey!! What the hell's going on?!"

"Good evening. I am Chiyo-chichi…" The cat thing said. "…and your wife dreams of me."

"Excuse me?" Joe asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Joe…"

Joe saw that behind the cat was Sakaki… she was on her hands and knees…

And she was naked.

"T-Tanaka?! What are you doing?!" Joe yelled.

Chiyo-chichi then floated behind Sakaki.

"Oh god…" Joe said, his eyes going wide. "You're not going to…"

Without speaking a word, Chiyo-chichi started to.

Joe was forced to watch. Shock and awe was an understatement. This was horrible…watching his wife have sex with a…cat…thing…

What's worse was he could hear Sakaki's moaning through it all… she was LOVING it!!

Joe could only watch on… in a shocked and horrified manner…

(Joe snapped awake after it was all over, and couldn't move for the next few minutes. The mental images were permanently scarred into his mind.)

…

Author's notes: Well, these dreams were a little bit different this time, as some of this stuff was based on the fandom or fan-sent ideas.

Anyway, here's how they went:

1. Came from an idea from Cartoony (aka Zeldapeach)

2. Came from an actual dream from IcemanX

3. Also came from Cartoony, and her love of Sakaki x Kagura

4. Came from Fade-to-Osaka, and his love of Sakaki x Osaka

5. Came from Azu-Insanity. A little short convo between two other members, when I was complaining about my inspiration for this chapter being gone.

6. Random thought I had as to why Osaka and Arata like the kotatsu's so much

7. Lucky Star reference. I mean, ok, it had it's good points, but the first episode was NOT fun to watch… AT ALL.

8. An idea I always got in my head while playing the Mortal Combat theme song.

9. A small parody of Cartoony's "Wizard of Oz" parody on dA, though this time around, she murders Joe with those explosive flowers of hers XD

10. This last one here is actually has a little bit of plot relation, so make sure to remember it! (we know Joe will XD )


	135. The Job Ends Again

The Job Ends Again

…

December 21st

…

Joe left work, removing his nightmare headband as he did. He stared at it in his hand before putting it into his computer bag, and beginning his walk home.

He continually wondered if he should run home… he almost wondered what Sakaki looked like now… she had sailed into the third trimester in his absence…

Joe scratched an itch on his chin, but stopped almost immediately. When he had shaved yesterday, he had nicked himself in not only his tiredness, but his excitement for finally seeing his wife again. It had been 6 years since the last time he had nicked himself while shaving…

On his way home, Joe spotted Kimura. He dropped something into a person's box who was asking for donations.

Joe walked up to him. "Kimura-san, what did you just drop in there?"

"10,000 yen." Kimura responded. "I think it's only proper for a teacher such as myself to do that sort of thing."

Not looking to be outdone by this pervert, Joe reached into his wallet…only to find it empty of any bills.

"Errgh…wait here!" Joe said, running over to the nearest ATM. Withdrawing 20,000 yen, he then ran back, and deposited it in the box.

"Oh, thank you!" the man holding the box said. "May good fortune go your way."

"Thanks…" Joe said, walking off.

"Merry Christmas to you." Kimura said.

"Yeah…Merry Christmas to you too." Joe replied.

Joe continued his walk home. He stopped to pick up some presents for everyone, including a few baby things for those expecting.

As he came out of his final store, however, he ran into Yomi.

"Geez, Joe…" Yomi responded with a small smile. "Look at yourself… I can tell you missed your wife as much as she's missed you."

Joe gave a weak, tired smile. "Nice to know that she missed me…"

Yomi thought for a moment. "Come with me. I think there's something at my house that will cheer you up."

"I'd rather not, Yomi…" Joe replied tiredly. "I really miss her and Nekosa…"

"It'll only be a minute." Yomi replied, turning around to start walking.

Deciding that Yomi must really want him for something, he followed her to her house.

…

Yomi opened the door to her house. Joe stepped inside…

"HOLY HELL!!" Joe yelled.

"Dammit, Yomi…" Tomo moaned. "Why'd you bring him here?!"

"Because, he's been away from his wife for the past few months, he could use a good laugh." Yomi replied.

Joe could only manage a small laugh. Tomo looked like an obese woman…one who had absolutely every bit of her weight go to her thighs and legs.

"So…what the hell happened here?" Joe asked, a slightly bigger smile on his face.

"We went to Chiyo to find out." Yomi said. "Poor Tomo has been put on bed rest because she's retaining water."

Joe just laughed. In all his tiredness and wanting of his wife, he was laughing for the first time in two and a half months.

"My god, Tomo, you look like you've eaten yourself fat!!" Joe said, still laughing.

"Shut the hell up!!" Tomo groaned. "God…I wish I would have known what I had gotten myself in to… I'm so tired…"

"That's another thing…" Yomi said. "She's completely lost her energy since this began."

"Well, Tomo…" Joe said "…should have known this was coming."

Tomo just whined and groaned.

Joe laughed, and left the house.

…

Refreshed only slightly, he walked the rest of his way home, gifts and everything else in tow.

He finally reached his home, and for the first time in months…unlocked his door.

He walked in, and the house was utterly quiet. He took off his shoes, and entered the house.

And that's when she came walking out. Her face was emotionless, and her stomach was poking out more than Tomo's had been, though her legs were still normal-sized.

"Tanaka…" Joe whispered. All of his bags dropped from his hands.

He slowly walked towards her as she walked towards him…

SMACK!!

Sakaki's hand came right up, and smacked Joe across the face.

No words were spoken. Joe, his face stinging, looked to his wife.

Tears streamed down Sakaki's face. She then hugged him as best she could, gently sobbing.

His arms wrapped around her body in a tight embrace as tears ran down his own face.

"Otousan?" Joe looked to see Nekosa come out of her room.

"Yes, Nekosa…it's me." Joe said with a smile, though unwilling to let go of his sobbing wife.

Nekosa ran up, and gave Joe a tight hug around his leg. "Okaasan and I missed you."

"I missed you both too…" Joe replied, the tears running faster down his face.

Sakaki pulled back, and wiped away her tears. "It's been so cold at night…"

"It has been for me too…" Joe replied. "…and I've missed your soft, sweet voice."

Joe leaned in, and the two shared in a passionate kiss.

A moment passed, and the two finally pulled back from each other.

"I'm tired…" Sakaki said wearily.

"As am I… Let's go." Joe replied with a small but tired smile.

And the two went to bed. Joe saw that Sakaki's pajama's were now failing at covering up her belly.

"Otousan… can I sleep with you too?" Nekosa asked from the doorway.

"Sure you can." Joe replied as he got into the bed.

Nekosa hopped up, while Sakaki got herself into the bed. Nekosa got in-between the two parents, and Sakaki moved herself to kind of squish Nekosa between herself and Joe.

The three were asleep almost instantly, the warmth of both love and body heat finally reconnected with the three of them once more.

…

Arata was standing in his room, getting ready to go to bed…

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

"AYUMU!!" Arata screamed, running out.

Arata ran into the living room, where he saw Osaka lying on the floor, wailing with tears streaming down her face.

"Ayumu, what's wrong?!" Arata asked her.

"I CAN'T FIT UNDER THE KOTATSU ANYMORE!!"

It was suddenly brought to Arata's attention that Osaka was on the floor, with her feet and legs beneath the kotatsu… but Osaka's belly was so big that it could no longer fit…

Osaka wailed even more.

"oh no…" Arata said, panic beginning to rise within himself. "Um…Ayumu…uh…"

"Why don't you just turn sideways?"

Arata looked to his side to see Pan standing there.

"Huh?" Arata asked.

"Why doesn't she just turn sideways?" Pan asked.

Osaka stopped wailing (though the tears were still falling). She then turned herself sidways, and slid under the kotatsu.

"Oh Pan!! Yer so smart!!" Osaka replied happily. "Yer gonna go to Tokyo U when ya grow up!!"

"She is a very smart girl" Arata said, placing a hand on Pan's head. "She's got some of you in her, Ayumu."

No response. Arata and Pan looked to see Osaka already asleep.

"Oh wow…she was really tired out…" Arata said.

Pan nodded.

But the two managed to squeeze themselves under the kotatsu as well (barely, as Osaka's large belly took up a good portion of the space) before falling asleep.

"mmmm… so warm…" Pan commented with a small smile before falling asleep.

…

Author's notes: Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but it was something of a filler to get us between the nightmares chapter, and the chapter coming up here.

Next Chapter: Azu-kids' New Years Dreams


	136. New Years Dreams

New Years dreams

Note: The song, _Tomo Yo_, is played here. See author's notes.

…

(In Koharu's case)

…

Koharu saw herself first as someone incredibly tall and cool…

She saw a girl with black hair…and a weird cap on her head…

Suddenly, this guy (or was it a girl?) scared this girl into a pool.

Her Natsuko-mama jumped in after the girl, and managed to rescue the girl from the pool.

"Hey, kitty, did I help you with your problem?" The definite-girl called out.

Koharu then pushed her into the pool. Damn, it felt good!!

…

Koharu then saw herself on a show… there were camera's everywhere… Koyomiko was there…and Nekosa… and everyone else…

Then this guy came out yelling stuff… he had black curly hair and glasses…

For some odd reason… Koharu strangely remembered flipping this guy into his desk and breaking it…

And Chiyo was reading letters, but from whom?

…

Her dream then switched again… she saw herself in the mirror… she had raggy clothes, and her ears were pointed… but despite all this, she looked positively cool…

Suddenly, a giant wooden-looking creature landed by her. She readied herself up, charging energy into one of her fists, before charging right into the creature. He was sucked up into a black hole…

All stood still before…

Bright flashing lights, and then a huge explosion!!

…

Koharu woke up, wondering what each one of those dreams meant…

…

(In Sachiko's case)

…

Sachiko was grown up, tall, cool, and slightly busty. She made her way though a large hallway and into the eyesight of millions of people watching her. She was in the Olympics.

She then made her way in her fencing uniform to the mat that was always laid out for fencers (the piste).

She then was told to test the scoring equipment by the ref. She let her opponent hit her chest with his foil, and the scoring registered. She then did the same to him, and the scoring registered.

She then saluted her opponent, the director of it, and the crowd of millions watching her before tucking her hair in, and putting her helmet on, and taking her defensive stance.

She then heard the ref…

"En garde. Prêt. Allez!"

And the fight took off. Sachiko easily swung her foil around, fooling the opponent once…then twice…

By the time the opponent had figured out what was going on, Sachiko had won the whole thing 10-0.

The crowd cheered as Sachiko took the gold medal right there.

…

Sachiko then had another dream…

In this one, she was sitting well-hidden in the bushes, camera in hand.

"Where is she?" Sachiko whispered to herself.

It was then that Sachiko spotted her.

"Yes…Angelina Jolie…" Sachiko whispered with an evil grin. "Oh my…that doesn't look like Brad at all…"

Sachiko snapped the photo's quietly while recording into a hand recorder.

"Angelina Jolie was seen about town, not with her love Brad, but with a woman!! This woman has black hair that goes down to her shoulders, and eyes that are unusually big for a Japanese woman… oh my, and then they kissed!! Certainly Brad will no doubt be crushed by this blow…"

…

Sachiko rolled over in her sleep, an evil grin on her face.

…

(In Ami's case)

…

Ami stood there, an apron and chef hat on. She cooked like crazy…

Food would fly through the air, then land safely in a pan behind her, and begin to cook.

"Ami!!" One of the chef's yelled. "Boss wants to see you!!"

"Koibitoneko, can you take over for me?" Ami asked with a smile.

Kamineko, complete with chief hat, apron, and curly French mustache, gave a mew.

Ami then walked out of the kitchen, and into the boss' office.

"Ms. Ami, I am happy to report that we continue to receive happy compliments from all of our customers." The boss said. "We're going to be giving you a promotion to head chief, as well as a raise"

"Oh, thank you, Boss!!" Ami said with a happy smile.

"And also, your friend Nakamura-san called…" The boss said. "She said that she wishes to hold a congratulatory party for you, and wants you to know that she and Koharu-chan are getting along fine."

"Thank you so much, Boss!!" Ami replied, bowing deeply and humbly.

…

Ami just smiled in her sleep.

…

(In Koyomiko's case)

…

Koyomiko was running… running in total fear.

"You can't run away from me!!" Came a yell from behind her.

Koyomiko turned into an alleyway, and found everyone else hiding there. "Oh no!!"

"Koyomiko!! Oh no, we're all doomed!!" Yomi yelled.

Koyomiko turned around, and there he was…standing before her…

Laharl. Along with a bunch of mean looking men.

"NOOOOO!!" Koyomiko yelled, shielding herself.

"Hmhmhmhm…there is no hope for you now." Laharl said with an evil grin, and he began advancing.

"HEY!! No one harms my child!!" Came a yell from behind.

(Start song _Tomo Yo_)

"Mama!!" Koyomiko yelled happily.

Tomo, in her ICPO uniform, stood at the ready, angry at those who would dare harm her child.

"You shall pay for trying this, Laharl." Tomo said, cracking her knuckles.

"We'll see about that." Laharl replied with a grin. "Thugs, get her!!"

"Yes, boss!!" The thugs yelled, and they charged Tomo.

"You can't defeat me!! I have a defender's spirit!!" Tomo yelled as she charged.

And Tomo laid a beatdown on the thugs as the music played:

_tatakai ni mi o sasageeeee_

A high jump kick takes out one thug!

_ai sae mo sutesariiiiiii_

One uppercut knocks a few teeth out of another!

_shinjiru no wa ono ga kiba dake_

_aa kodoku na ookamiiiii_

Tomo landed on her feet, the enemies defeated.

_kizutsukeru koto no kanashimi shitta toki_

_omae ga soko ni tatte itaaaaaaa_

"You're going down, Laharl!!" Tomo yelled, charging forward.

_hiekitta kokoro ni atsui kaze ga kakeru_

_aa senakaawase ni katariau yuujyou_

The brawl continued, but Tomo gained the upper hand.

_senshi ni yurusareta tatta hitotsu no mon_

_inochi kakeshite tatakatta nakama-tachi_

_kakegae no naiiiiii_

"Mama!! You did it!!" Koyomiko yelled happily, running up and hugging Tomo's leg as she stood triumphantly over Laharl's beaten body.

_Tomo yooooooooooooooo_

…

Koyomiko smiled in her sleep, then rolled over.

…

(In Nekosa's case)

…

Nekosa walked on alone… it seemed like no one was around…

"Hello? HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

Suddenly, the noise…

"BARK!! BARKBARKBARK!!"

Nekosa whipped around. That giant dog was running towards her.

Nekosa did another 180, and started running.

She ran for blocks and blocks, screaming out "Someone help me!! Someone please help!!"

The dog was getting closer… she could hear the clacking of his nails, and the bark was getting louder and louder…

Suddenly, the dog turned around, and ran away, yelping the whole time.

Nekosa stopped running, and turned around. She wondered why the dog would suddenly run away like that…

Nekosa felt a presence behind her. Slowly turning around, she saw a giant floating… cat-looking thing…

The thing raised up one arm.

"YO." It said in English.

…

Nekosa snapped awake. She instantly got up, and ran to her parents' room, where the two of them were sound asleep.

"OKAASAN!! OTOUSAN!!" Nekosa screamed, pouncing up onto the bed.

Joe and Sakaki woke up, and sat straight up to see Nekosa looking at them with a small look of terror in her eyes.

"What is it, Nekosa?" Joe asked with a yawn.

"Ijusthadadreamwherethedogwaschasingmeonlythistimeheranawaybecausehewaschasedawaybythisgiantcatthingandallhesaidwas…'Yo'"

At the 'Yo', Nekosa imitated exactly what the cat-thing had done.

Joe looked at Nekosa with confusion. "Um…oook then… did you have a soda before you went to bed?"

Joe expected to hear something out of Sakaki… but there was nothing. He looked to her… and saw that she had wide-eyes.

"Tanaka?" Joe asked.

Sakaki looked to him. "Chiyo-chichi…"

"Huh?"

"She had a dream about…Chiyo-chichi…" Sakaki said.

Joe looked at his wife with a raised eyebrow… then a creepy thought entered his mind…as he flashed back to one of his nightmares…

…

"I am Chiyo-chichi…" The cat-thing said. "…and your wife dreams of me."

…

Joe shivered. "Oh god…"

"What?" Sakaki asked.

"I think I had a nightmare about this guy…er…cat…thing…" Joe said, shivering some more. "He had sex with you."

Sakaki had the look of utter horror cross her face.

"Okaasan, what's sex?" Nekosa asked.

"Making babies…" Joe replied.

"ewwwwww…" Nekosa said in disgust.

And at that moment, an almost eerie presence could be felt at all those who slept at the Sakaki household.

…

(In Pan's case)

…

Pan was walking around town… she wasn't sure why, but she felt depressed in some way…

Suddenly, a giant cat-thing floated down in front of her. And the thing was pure blue.

"Hi" Pan said.

"Hello." The cat thing replied.

"Who are you?" Pan asked.

"Someone your Ayu-mama knows very well..." the cat thing said. "I am Chiyo-chichi."

Chiyo-chichi floated down some more, so now he was eye-level with her. "I can tell you are blue... I know how you feel"

"You're blue right now…" Pan replied.

"Is it really that obvious?" Chiyo-chichi asked.

Pan sighed. "I wonder… I don't show signs of being part of either my Ayu-mama or Natsuko-mama…

"You are dreaming of me, are you not?" Chiyo-chichi pointed out. "Then your Ayu-mama resides in you"

Pan looked up at him.

Chiyo-chichi wrapped his arms around Pan in a warm hug. "There, there."

Pan liked this hug. It was warm and gentle.

"Do not feel blue all the time…" Chiyo-chichi said. "…feel green or pink every once in a while"

"Huh?"

"BUT DO NOT FEEL RED!!" Chiyo-chichi yelled in an angry voice.

Pan shook in fear. "G-g-g-g-got it…"

"Now I must go... for there is much to be done" Chiyo-chichi said as he started to float away. "Goodbye, Pan."

Pan remained silent, waving goodbye to Chiyo-chichi.

"Oi, Pan!!" Osaka yelled out suddenly from right next to Pan. "I got a smash ball!!"

"A smash ball?" Pan asked.

"HAWK!! EGGPLANT!! MT. FIJI!!"

…

And Pan snapped awake as she suddenly flew off-screen.

And going downstairs, she spotted Osaka, having to awkwardly sit down with her belly poking out so much.

"Um…Ayu-mama…" Pan asked. "Did you ever have weird dreams?"

"All the time. Them weird dreams are fun" Osaka replied with a smile.

Pan looked at Osaka weird for a moment, then gave a small smile as well.

_Maybe…I really do have some of my parents in me…_ Pan thought.

…

Author's notes: After about an hour of searching the internet, I FINALLY found the translation for the music heard within Koyomiko's dream, Tomo Yo

_You dedicate yourself to battle, abandon even love, and_

_only have faith in your own fangs_

_Ah lonely wolf_

_When you know the grief of wounding someone,_

_you are standing there_

_In your frozen heart, a hot wind runs_

_Ah a fellowship where we talk back to back_

_The only thing a soldier is permitted is_

_comrades who fight betting their lives_

_Irreplaceable comrades_

Anyway, Koharu's dream is of all the other stories she's been in or will be in sometime in the future (in order, they are: Cartoony's Second Generation, Jay's Help Desk, and King Zairak's Azu-Disgaea).

Nekosa's and Pan's dreams came about when I hit this… Chiyo-chichi spurt. I suddenly couldn't stop thinking about the cat-thing… it was kinda weird… but it got me to be able to type up this chapter, since both Pan and Nekosa have the DNA of Osaka and Sakaki in them (respectively), and are able to have Chiyo-chichi dreams.

Next Chapter: The Final Months, Final Chapter of the Pregnancy Saga


	137. The Final Months, End Pregnancy Saga

The Final Months, Final Chapter of the Pregnancy Saga

…

Sakaki's belly… poking out even more… it was becoming incredibly hard for her to move around, and do things around the house. Her appetite had died down for the most part, though she was still eating a lot…

Osaka was…distressed. Having to turn over to get under the kotatsu was stress enough, and then needing help to get up afterwards was always making her rather cranky.

But in the meantime, she and Arata had gone shopping for some wedding clothes, as their wedding was coming in close.

Tomo was still on bed-rest for her retaining water. Her energy had also been drained down to virtually nothing. She pretty much either slept or ate.

And now we join the group on Monday, January 5th.

…

The parents were in Lamaze class.

Arata, Joe, and Yomi were there, helping their pregnant lovers.

"Now then, let's begin the breathing exercises…" The teacher instructed. "Now, follow after me…HEE HEE HEE, HOO HOO HOO…"

And the teacher continued in that pattern. Yomi, Arata, and Joe kneeled on the right side of their lovers, and held their hands while they practiced this.

A bit more practicing, and Osaka began to stare off in thought…

"HEE HEE HEE, HOO HOO HOO…" Arata told her. "Weird breathing…"

"HEE HEE HEE, HOO HOO HOO, HEE HEE HEE, HOO HOO HOO…" Osaka followed, and then…

"Hey, Tomo-chan, did we ever figure out what O-S stood for?"

The whole class completely stopped and stared at Osaka.

"Did I miss something?" Joe asked his wife.

Sakaki gave him a look that said 'it's a long story'.

…

Now moving to the Azu-kids, who were in school at the time…

They all sat in the cafeteria. Most of them were eating their lunch…however, Nekosa and Koyomiko were the most talkative.

"My Mama says it's almost a month left before my new baby sister comes!!" Koyomiko said excitedly. "I can hardly wait!!"

"I know!!" Nekosa replied, just as happy and eccentric as Koyomiko was. "I'm gonna have a new brother and sister coming soon too!!"

"So…hey, Koyomiko-chan…I haven't seen you around much…" Koharu mentioned.

"I've been really busy!" Koyomiko said. "I've been using the Wildcat secret, so I can catch up to you guys next year!"

"Psh…like that'll ever happen…" Sachiko growled.

Koharu glared at her rival, but didn't say anything. Her lesson had been learned, as Sachiko was often one to push buttons.

But it also reminded Koharu that she was still trying to find something to help her fight Sachiko on land… to become better than her…

"How about you, Pan-chan? Are you excited for your new baby brother?" Koyomiko asked.

Pan nodded. "I'll be the big sister…"

"I wonder if that boy is gonna have Osaka-sempai's thoughts…" Koharu wondered.

"Well…I did…" Pan replied quietly.

"You did?! What were they?!" Koharu asked in amazement.

"U-um…I dreamed about some big kitty named…Chiyo-chichi…" Pan replied softly.

Everyone looked at her with their eyebrows raised.

Well…except for Nekosa.

"Oh…my…gosh!!" Nekosa yelled. "I had a dream like that too!! He came down and rescued me from the dog, then he turned around and said…YO"

"He told me that my Ayu-mama dreams about him." Pan replied.

"WAAAAAAGH!!" Koharu screamed out, then banged her head to the table. "I want a dream like that!!"

"Weirdo." Sachiko grumbled.

Ami sighed. "Are you two ever going to get along?"

"No." Sachiko and Koharu replied at the same time.

Ami sighed heavily again.

…

Thankfully, school seemed to end much faster than usual. Sachiko and Koharu continued to growl at each other, and only seemed to co-exist because they were forcefully put that way.

Koharu left school, but rather than heading home, she headed into town. Pan watched her leave, and then headed to her Ayu-mama's house.

…

Koharu had been to the town center many times now following her fight. She rarely got lost, and if she did, she always asked for the way back to her school.

She had been telling her parents about these adventures. She told them she was looking for some other activity to occupy her time.

Kaorin was happy, but Kagura knew better. She had confronted Koharu about it…

…

Flashback

…

"Koharu…" Kagura said, once the two were alone in Koharu's bedroom. "You may have your Kaori-kaa-san fooled, but you don't have me fooled. You want to find something to help you fight Nakamura-san, don't you?"

Koharu gulped and swallowed. "N-No…"

"Koharu…" Kagura crossed her arms, and looked down sternly. "Don't lie."

Koharu hung her head. "Yes…"

Kagura then bent down to eye level with Koharu, and put one hand on her shoulder. "Koharu… I understand that she's your rival… just…promise me… you won't fight her again until you're completely sure you're ready."

Koharu looked up to Kagura, and their eyes met. "Ok, Natsuko-mama…I promise."

…

End flashback

…

So Koharu continued on. So far all she had seen was a bunch of shopping malls, nothing of which could actually help her in her fight against her most hated rival.

She then spotted a new building. One that she had seen in construction a few times here…but now the place was up and built…

Koharu, her curiosity perked, decided to see what this new place was all about.

She walked in through the doors…

_Woahhoahoahoooooooooooooooooooooah!!_

Koharu's eyes went wide, and her mouth remained wide open…

_Woahhoahoahooooooooooooooooooooah…_

Her eyes sparkled as her mouth formed an open-mouth smile…

_Woahhoahoahoooooooooooooooooooooah!!_

She knew it…she had found what she was looking for…

_Woahhoahoahooooooooooooooooooooah…_

Something incredibly awesome…that would help her finally beat Sachiko Nakamura…

_Everybody was Kung-Fu fighting!! HUH!!_

…

(And now, spoiler theatre)

…

A plump woman with black hair went through her mail… when she came to a special letter.

"AW MAH GOD!!" The woman squealed out.

"Wha' is it?" A plump man with brown hair asked.

"Our cute Ayumu's weddin'!!" The woman squealed, holding out the letter. "Here's tha' invitation!!"

"A'right!!" The man replied. "Been a while since we dun' been to a weddin'!! We'd better get fancied up!!"

…

Author's notes: A rather small spoiler theatre, but it shows you what you can expect in the next saga. Osaka's wedding to Arata.

Well, there you have it. The Pregnancy saga. Sorry it was so incredibly long since the last update. I often forget about ADR over time…

Anyway, for those that watch the Japanese version of Azumanga Daioh, they may have caught the joke with Osaka in Lamaze class XD.

But the idea to make Koharu learn Karate came from watching 'Kung Fu Panda' (good movie) Right as the credits start to roll, Koharu suddenly popped up in my mind and said 'Hey, I could use this to kick the crap out of Nakamura!'

(Light bulb)

But coming up also in the next saga is finally something that I've been waiting a while to get to… so I'll probably be working on it right away to get it out rather quickly.

So see you all next time!!

Jamesbondkid will return in the "Birth Saga"


	138. The Kasuga Wedding, Begin Birth Saga

The Kasuga Wedding, Begin Birth Saga

…

Wednesday, January 14th, 2009

…

Osaka stood in front of a full-body mirror… a smile stuck on her face.

It was January. She had been visiting Chiyo every other day now as her pregnancy was coming to an end.

But that didn't stop her from putting on a beautiful wedding dress.

Today was her wedding to Arata.

She held her bouquet of flowers out in front… she thought it was all the more beautiful.

"You excited, Ayumu-onee-chan?" Hikari asked. Hikari herself was in the room, making sure that Osaka would be ready and all. Hikari was already in a beautiful bride's maid's dress.

Osaka continued to stare at herself in the mirror, completely unresponsive. Even though her belly was sticking out, and was made blatantly obvious by the fact that her wedding dress didn't do anything to cover it up, she couldn't help but love the way she looked.

"Onee-chan?" Hikari asked again.

"Hm? Oh…sorry, Hikari-chan… ah'm just…admirin'…" Osaka said, still stuck on staring at herself in the mirror. "Not every day someone gets married ta someone while pregnant…"

Hikari just smiled. "You really love him, don'cha?"

Osaka nodded.

There was a knock on the door.

"Ayumu? You ready to go? Your family is all gathered out here." Arata's voice came from the other side.

The doorknob began to turn…

"HIKARI!" Osaka yelled.

"HAAAAA!!!" Like some sort of cheap animation video, Hikari leaped through the air to the door in slow motion, stomped down in front of it, and pushed her whole body weight against the door to keep it shut.

"Eh?" Arata asked.

"It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding begins!" Hikari yelled.

There was a moment's pause. "Oh yeah! Good catch, Hikari-chan!!"

Hikari beamed proudly.

Then, a scream was heard.

It got louder, went by Arata, and then disappeared down the hall.

"Arata-san, what was that?" Hikari asked.

"It was some girl running down the hall in a panicked state… you think the aliens are invading?" Arata asked.

"I don't think so… I mean…"

Hikari's voice trailed off… for Osaka was watching a glass of water in the room…

Boom! The water rippled…

Boom! It rippled again…

Boom! A small bead of sweat ran down Osaka's face… pure terror gripped her…

Boom!

"Aw mah god!! There's tha' groom!!"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!" Arata screamed at the top of his lungs before running away in sheer terror.

Hikari now had her back to the door, but she looked absolutely terrified.

"O-On-nee-chan… Aunt Gertrude…Uncle Fungus…here…NOW!!!" Hikari was so panicked that she had lost all ability to form proper sentences.

Then…a knock.

"Mah cute Ayumu!! Are ya' in thar? We're here for the weddin', ta see ya get he-itched!!" came Gertrude's squeal from the other side of the door.

Osaka began to panic. Gertrude and Fungus were one thing… Gertrude and Fungus at a wedding were far worse…

"Well, looks like we made it just in time, Fungus! They're herdin' people inta the main area! See ya at the reception, Ayumu!" Gertrude squealed.

And the two could be heard walking down the hallway, away from the dressing room.

"Whew…I think they're gone…" Hikari said. She looked to Osaka, who was staring off…though a slight look of horror on her face.

"Onee-chan?" Hikari asked.

"Hikari… mah water broke."

Hikari looked to the floor. Sure enough, a large puddle had formed itself around Osaka… strangely enough… only the bottom of Osaka's dress, the part that touched the floor, was wet.

Hikari almost seemed to hyperventilate. "Oh mah god!!! What are we gonna do?!?!"

Osaka pulled out her phone, and dialed a number.

…

Out in the main area, Chiyo was standing next to Yomi and Koyomiko.

"But why am I a flower girl for Osaka-basan's and Arata-jisan's wedding? I want to be the flower girl for your and Mama's wedding!" Koyomiko pleaded.

"You will be." Yomi replied to her with a smile. "Your Osaka-basan just needed a second flower girl, and you were the first one she thought of."

"And Koharu-chan wanted to give you a turn. So go out there, and throw those flowers!" Yomi said.

While Koyomiko ran off, Chiyo faced Yomi. "Tomo still at home?"

"Yeah…though she asked that I record this for her to watch after her pregnancy is over…" Yomi replied, showing off a camcorder in her other hand.

Just then, Chiyo's phone went off. Chiyo quickly pulled it out of her pocket.

"Hello?" Chiyo answered.

"Chiyochanmahwaterbrokeandhikariisallinapanicandidontknowwhattodoand…"

"Osaka-san!! Slow down!!" Chiyo yelled into her phone. "Now, tell me slowly what's going on."

"Chiyo-chan, mah water broke!!" Osaka cried.

"Osaka-san, listen to me! You'll be ok… you've got a few hours before you really need to get to the hospital, so let's make this wedding fast!" Chiyo said.

"O-Ok…Chiyo-chan…" Osaka hung up.

As did Chiyo, but her face was completely serious.

"Alright… let's get this going."

…

Within a half-hour, the wedding was underway. Koyomiko and Pan (Pan being slightly red-in-the-face) threw the flowers, followed closely by Arata.

The organ playing the music…

Arata came up and stood by the priest. Ichiro, Osaka's father, stood up by the altar, having been asked by Arata to be the best man.

Then the door opened. Osaka, in her beautiful wedding dress, stood at the doorway.

She flinched a bit.

"Onee-chan? You ok?" Hikari asked, who stood behind Osaka.

"Yeah…just another contraction…" Osaka replied in a painful grunt.

A minute or so later, and Osaka was able to walk again.

As she walked up slowly to the altar, she looked around at her friends and family, all smiling at her…

Aunt Gertrude, however…

Well, her eyes were watering up…

_Crap…I forgot…_ Osaka thought.

She made her way up to the altar, and stood facing Arata.

Both of them having incredibly nice smiles on their faces.

And the priest began…

"Dearly beloved…we are gathered here today to witness…"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!! Mah cute Ayumu's finally gettin' hitched!!"

The friends of Osaka all turned to look at Aunt Gertrude, who had suddenly burst into tears, and had begun wailing.

To the family of Osaka… this was nothing new… they pretty much ignored it.

"Wouldn't ya think Gertie would learn ta stop cryin' at every hitchin' she goes to?" One family member whispered.

Osaka sighed.

"Ayumu…" Arata started. "Does your aunt…?"

"Yes…every time." Osaka groaned. "Can we please just skip to the 'Ah do's'?

"Erm… Hibiki Arata, do you take this woman to be your wife?" The priest asked.

"I do." Arata said, returning her his gaze to Osaka.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!! 'E'S A GOOD MAN, TAKIN' CARE A AYUMU LIKE THAT!!!!!"

"And Kasuga Ayumu, do you take this man to be your husband?" The priest asked, continuing through Gertrude's wailing.

"Ah do." Osaka replied.

_SNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!!_

Sweatdrops passed throughout the place as Gertrude blew her nose rather loudly.

"Erm…and now the rings?" The priest asked.

Arata and Osaka turned.

Arata took the ring from Ichiro. "Take good care of my daughter for me."

Arata nodded.

Osaka took the ring from Hikari.

"Enjoy your married life, Ayumu-Onee-chan." Hikari said. She had to wipe away a tear from her eye.

Osaka nodded.

The two turned back to each other, and placed the rings on the other's finger.

"Alrighty… if there is anyone who opposes these two being wed…"

There was sudden shuffling…

And the entire Kasuga family could now be seen holding some sort of bludgeoning weapon, save for a few of the men, who cracked their knuckles.

Blue faces passed over all friends present.

"What kind of family does Osaka have?!" Joe whispered.

The priest reached under the altar, and came back up with a hard-hat on. "Erm…if anyone opposes these two being wed…speak now…or forever hold your peace."

There was a very tense silence.

VERY tense.

As in no friend dare breathe, for fear of it being considered opposing the wedding.

The priest coughed to grab attention. "I know pronounce this couple husband and wife, you may kiss."

Arata and Osaka kissed, and the chapel broke into applause and cheers.

"MAH AYUMU'S ALL HITCHED!!! C'MERE!!!" And Gertrude stood up.

"Waaaah!! Arata, get me outta here!!" Osaka screamed.

Arata quickly grabbed Osaka's hand, and tore out of the wedding hall through the emergency exit. Osaka's quickly tossed her bouquet into the chaos as she ran.

"Ahhh! Ayu-mama!!" Pan yelled, quickly giving chase.

…

Arata and Osaka, both panting and wheezing, came out of the chapel, and to the waiting car with the words 'Just married' on the back.

Arata opened the door, and helped Osaka in.

BoomBoomBoomBoom!

"Hurry, Arata!! She's comin'!!" Osaka yelled.

Arata quickly ran to the other side, and jumped in the car.

The doors to the chapel burst open, Pan running for her life.

"Ayu-mama, wait!!!" Pan yelled.

Osaka spotted Pan, and opened the door. "Hurry, Pan!! She's comin'!!"

Pan ran for the car, and jumped in. Osaka shut the door, and the car sped off.

…

Osaka was wincing while Arata and Pan took the time to catch their breath.

Once Arata had caught his breath, he smiled, and placed a hand on Pan's head to get her attention.

"I'm your dad now." Arata said with a smile.

Pan stared up at Arata for a moment, then wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug.

"Ugh…these contractions are painful…" Osaka moaned.

Arata chuckled a bit, still giving Osaka a smile.

"Hey, Arata…" Osaka said. "Ah didn't see any of your family there… why not?"

There was a moment's pause.

"Driver, turn left here." Arata said.

"Eh? Arata?" Osaka asked.

…

The car pulled up, and came to a stop.

Arata got out, and ran to the opposite side to help Osaka out, while Pan got out of the vehicle on her own.

Osaka stared at the place they had come to for a moment as Arata took Pan's hand, and the two walked in.

Osaka followed behind, not sure what they were doing here.

However, it became clear as soon as Arata came to a large tomb marked 'Hibiki'.

"Arata…you mean…" Osaka whispered in shock.

Arata didn't answer. Instead, he let go of Pan's hand, and got down on his knees, then put his head to the ground in a deep bow.

Following his example, Pan got down on her knees and bowed deeply as well.

Osaka, using Arata's shoulder's to help, managed to get down on her knees, but instead bowed only her head deeply.

"Mom…Dad… everyone…" Arata said, smiling at the tomb. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit lately…it's been kind of busy…"

Osaka looked up at the tomb expectantly… as did Pan…

"But…I want you all to meet my wife…Ayumu." Arata continued, looking back at Osaka.

Osaka had another contraction, however, she didn't even notice as she watched…

"We…just got married today…" Arata's eyes watered up a bit. "And…she's going to be giving birth to a son soon…"

A small wind picked up… the leaves began to swirl around…

Arata's smile became slightly bigger as he looked back at Osaka, then back to the tomb, a tear running down his face. . "I told you she was beautiful… even pregnant…even when she was in a scary sex craving mood that made me think that she was possessed… I stuck with her… and I plan to… for the rest of my life."

Osaka stared at the tomb. "How?"

Arata looked back at Osaka, wiping his face off.

"How did they die?" Osaka asked.

"Heart failure." Pan said in a very quiet, sad tone.

"Everyone on my mom's and dad's side had bad hearts… the doctors… were all amazed when I was born… that I had a healthy heart." Arata finished.

Osaka had to wipe away some tears from her own eyes. That was… incredibly sad.

"So…I guess this makes me a Hibiki now, huh?" Osaka said, trying to force a smile on her face.

But Arata shook his head. "No… I think… the Hibiki family should rest in peace. I'll become a Kasuga."

"Huh?" Osaka asked in slight confusion.

"Your family today…" Arata said, turning to face Osaka. "…they all loved you… and they showed it. I don't want to take away a daughter that they love so much… instead… I want to become a son to them…"

Osaka smiled at him.

"And plus…" Arata added. "Kasuga Arata sounds a lot better than Hibiki Ayumu."

Osaka gave a small giggle.

"URK!!" Osaka groaned again.

"Oh…we'd better get you to the hospital… you going to be ok?" Arata asked.

"Yeah…they go away after a while…gimme a minute…" Osaka groaned.

Pan kept staring at the grave. For a small moment…she thought she saw a male and a female on top of the tomb, staring down at Arata and Osaka…giving smiles to the both of them.

Pan gave another deep bow to the grave.

Osaka's contraction stopped again, and Arata was able to help her up. Pan standing and taking Arata's hand, the three left the graveyard.

With Arata now being known as Arata Kasuga.

…

In the meantime… the wedding chapel was completely empty… save for one person.

Hikari remained frozen where she had been…

Her eyes incredibly wide…

As she held Osaka's bouquet in her hands.

"Ah'm…gettin' married next…" were the only words she could mumble.

…

Author's notes: Yes, I've wanted to have Arata become a Kasuga for a while now. Arata Kasuga just seems like a well fitting name for him.

And I added that very last part as something for Hikari fans~

Well, next up, we have the very first of new characters to ADR!!

Next Chapter: Osaka Gives Birth


	139. Osaka gives Birth

Osaka gives Birth

…

Arata, Osaka, and Pan returned home, and got out of their wedding outfits (Osaka needing extra help, as she was still pregnant, and now going through contractions). The three then packed what they thought they would need while going through the hours of labor, then got back into the limo to take Osaka to the hospital.

By now, Osaka's contractions were getting closer together, but not by much. It had been a few hours since her water had broken at the chapel, luckily.

"Ayumu… did we ever pick out a name?" Arata asked.

There was only silence.

"Nah, crap…" Osaka moaned.

And so, the limo turned around, and went back to the Kasuga household. Arata ran in, grabbed the name book, and came back out.

The limo then started on its way back to the hospital while Arata read the book, looking for a good name.

…

Osaka, Arata, and Pan entered through the main doors, and to the reception area. Arata was carrying a duffel bag that was holding everything he thought he would need.

"AAAAGH!!!!" Osaka screamed. "THESE CONTRACTIONS ARE BUGGIN' ME!!!!"

"Calm down, Ayumu… we're at the hospital now… everything's going to be ok…" Arata said.

"OK?! Everything is not ok!!" Osaka screamed. "My contractions keep comin' and goin', and it's drivin' me crazy!!! Ah swear, next time, you're havin' the baby!!"

There was a complete and total silence at the hospital.

"Um…Ayumu…I don't think that's possible…" Arata said.

At that moment, Chiyo Mihama came running into the reception area.

"All right… you guys are here…" Chiyo replied. "C'mon, let's go get you into a room."

Chiyo led Osaka, Arata, and Pan to a birthing room within the hospital.

This room was…different, to say the least. For one, it just smelled different. While most of the hospital smelled sanitary, this smelled…nice. And there were decorations on the wall. Despite the medical tools and machines within the room…the room had sort of a homey feel to it.

Osaka was led to the bed, and Chiyo plugged in the many medical devices. Arata sat down in a chair on the right side of Osaka, while Pan sat down on the left.

"Ok… make sure to time your contractions… both the length, and the time in-between contractions. When they reach about 45 to 60 seconds in length, and are about 3 to 4 minutes apart, call us, we'll come right away."

And with that, Chiyo left.

Osaka started by doing her Lamaze breathing exercises as she went through another contraction. Timing it, it was only about 15 seconds long.

"Hmmmm… I wonder how long this is gonna be…" Arata asked.

"Who knows?" Osaka said to him. She was still a bit cranky. "Ah just want it to be done."

"Oh, c'mon, Ayumu…" Arata replied, trying to brighten her up. "Think about it this way… when you see the baby's face, it's just like Christmas morning."

"Yeah, well… I'm stuck in those last few days hunting a toy down that I've been hunting for months, being pushed by the smelly people all lookin' for the same damn thing." Osaka shot back.

Arata and Pan went quiet. Osaka was NOT one of those people to curse…EVER.

Arata reached into the duffel bag, and pulled out some bottled water, holding it by Osaka.

Osaka grumpily took the water, and gulped it right down.

After she finished it, she groaned.

"How long?" Osaka asked.

"Eh?"

"How long since the last contraction? I just had another one…" Osaka muttered.

"Um…I…don't know… I wasn't keeping track…" Arata said.

Osaka's head whipped around and looked right at Arata. "WHAT SORT'A HUSBAND ARE YOU?!?! Help me through this pregnancy, damn it!!!!"

Arata looked shocked…and then…hurt.

"I…I'm sorry, Ayumu…" Arata whimpered.

Osaka's face loosened right up… and in fact, Osaka began to cry.

"Ah'm a lousy wife…ah'm already yelling at you!!!" Osaka cried.

"Awww… Ayumu… I guess the mood swings are getting worse as you get closer." Arata said with a smile. He reached into his duffle bag, and pulled out another water. "There, there. Here, drink some more water."

Osaka looked at the new bottle. "B-but…what about you? And Pan?"

"That's ok. We've got soda." Arata said, pulling out a can of soda. "I had to pack them both, since I know you can't have both."

And Arata opened the can.

…

Joe, Sakaki, and Nekosa were leaving their house.

"Ok, we all ready to go see Osaka at the ho-"

Joe froze mid-sentence. His eyes went wide.

"Oh no…" Sakaki said, knowing full well what that look in Joe's eyes meant.

"C'mon, let's go!!" Joe yelled, running full speed.

"Just go!! We'll catch up!!" Sakaki said in a panicked tone.

Joe turned and started running full speed down the sidewalk.

"Okaasan…where's he going?" Nekosa asked.

"It's his secret soda…" Sakaki said. "A can has been opened somewhere…"

…

Arata drank down the whole can, and let out a big gasp as he happily enjoyed it.

"Pan, you want one?" Arata asked, holding a can out.

Pan just shook her head. She wasn't thirsty right now.

Arata put the can back into the duffle bag, and began reading the child naming book once again.

…

Joe burst in through the hospital doors into the reception area.

"Please, I need to see Dr. Mihama!" Joe gasped out.

The receptionist paged Chiyo, who then came out.

"Joe-san? What are you doing here? Is something wrong?" Chiyo asked.

"S-soda…" Joe gasped, trying to catch his breath.

Chiyo became slightly frightened. "C'mon, follow me."

…

Chiyo and Joe found themselves in a dark room… the only thing in this dark room was a safe.

Joe's old safe…which housed the tons of secret soda.

"And what about you? I haven't ever heard you open one…" Joe mentioned.

"We puncture the can with a needle… so then you never even hear it." Chiyo replied.

The two left the dark room, and it was then electronically locked.

"Well…I know I heard one… who would have gotten in there?" Joe asked.

"I'm the only one allowed in that room…" Chiyo replied, still in deep thought.

KABOOM!!!

"What was that?!" Joe asked in surprise.

"I'm…not sure…" Chiyo said, the explosion obviously breaking her train of thought. "Sounds like it came from the…birthing area…"

They both looked at each other with wide eyes.

"ARATA AND OSAKA!!!"

Both of them took off in a run down the halls.

KABOOM!!!!

Chiyo and Joe, unshaken by the next explosion, skidded down the halls, dodging people, as they made their way to the source of it.

Immediately upon entering Osaka's birthing room, they saw two large holes in the wall opposite of Osaka, both holes looking like dynamite had been used to blast through.

Osaka's eyes were wide. Pan was frozen to her seat, staring in fear at the holes in the wall.

And Arata…he was sniffling.

"Guys…I don't know what's going on…" Arata moaned. "My sneezes are…a-are never…ah…ah…"

"RUN!!!" Joe grabbed Chiyo's arm, ran out, slamming the door behind him, and started running back down the hall.

KABOOM!!!!!

The door flew right off of its hinges, and through the air. A receptionist ducked just in time as the door went flying overhead, and smashed into the work desk behind her.

"Guys…wait…" Arata moaned, walking out of the room to follow them.

"Arata, what are you doing?!" Joe yelled.

"But I need help…ah…I need…ah…ah…!!"

"LEFT!!!!" Joe turned, holding onto Chiyo's arm in the process.

"AH-CHOO!!"

KABOOM!!!!!!

A hospital employee, who had been walking down the hall to find out what the hell had been going on, was knocked back. FAR back. He flew down two hallways and skidded into a desk.

"Oh god… Joe-san!! Chiyo-chan!! I need help!!" Arata moaned, following after the two.

"Arata, don't follow us!! People could get hurt!!" Chiyo yelled back at him.

"But I need your help… I don't want to be dangerous…I…oh no…aaah…aaaaah!!!"

"RIGHT!!!" Joe dragged Chiyo to the right hand side.

"AH-CHOO!!!!!"

KABOOOM!!!!

Two more doors were blown off their hinges, and sent flying down the hallway they led to.

Joe and Chiyo, meanwhile…were staring at a dead-end.

"WAAAAAH!! We're gonna die!!!" Chiyo yelled.

A sniffle from behind them.

Both turned to see that Arata was now standing by them.

"Please…help me…I-I feel something…something…aaaah…aaaaah!!"

"No!!! I can't die here!!! I haven't even seen my kids yet!!!" Joe yelled, ducking down and covering his head.

"Joe, I'm sorry, but one time in college, I used your toothbrush to clean the toilet!!" Chiyo yelled.

"Wait, you did what?!"

"AH-CHOO!!!"

However, unlike the previous sneezes, this one instead blew Arata backwards. He was sent flying down the hallway behind them, and slammed his back hard into a desk.

"Ouch." Chiyo winced.

"Ch-Chiyo… did you really use my toothbrush to clean the toilet?" Joe asked.

"Um…you remember that one time I bought you a new toothbrush, and I said it was because I noticed you needed a new one?" Chiyo responded, looking away in embarrassment. "Yeah… the night before…I had used it…"

"I think I'm gonna throw up…" Joe moaned, dropping to his knees and covering his mouth.

Chiyo left the slightly sickening Joe to check up on Arata, who was standing back up, though having a small problem doing so.

"A-Arata-san?" Chiyo asked.

Arata stood up… and the soda's side effect became evident.

Coming from Arata's nose was snot…a lot of it. It looked like one huge glob that just continued to run from his nose and drop to the floor.

"I can't breathe…" Arata groaned.

"Get me a towel, quick!" Chiyo yelled to the person behind the desk. The person, in a bit of shock, stood up and ran to go grab one.

"Just stay there… we'll get something soon enough…" Chiyo said, trying to keep Arata calm.

"It's running…" Arata groaned as the snot now hit the floor, and was in a continuous stream from the floor to his nose.

…

The two rooms in which Arata had destroyed the walls to were closed off, and Osaka was moved to a new room.

Arata's nose had finally stopped running after a few minutes. But it had run constantly during those few minutes that it did. He ran through about 8 towels in that time too.

But we now join Arata and Osaka back in the birthing area, a few hours later. Osaka had paged for Chiyo when her contractions were getting closer together.

"OH MAH GOD!!! IT'S COMIN'!!! IT'S COMIN'!!!" Osaka yelled.

"Don't worry, Ayumu! I'm here!!" Arata said, holding Osaka's hand.

Bad mistake…

CRACK!!!

Arata looked down at his hand… then looked to Osaka…

"A-Ayumu…y-you're…breaking my hand…" Arata whined.

…

Outside, Pan sat with Kagura, Kaorin, and Koharu in a waiting room. Those three had come in to replace the watchers of Joe, Sakaki, and Nekosa once it started to hit the evening.

Pan remained next to Koharu, worried about Osaka.

"I-Is Ayu-mama gonna be ok?" Pan asked quietly.

"Sure she will!" Koharu said. "She's Osaka-sempai!! She can do anything!!"

_Way to go, Koharu,_ Kagura thought with a smile.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!"

Pan suddenly became a nervous wreck at Osaka's scream.

…

"GRAAAAAGH!!!!! AAAAAAAH!!!!" Osaka screamed out.

"AYUMU!!! YOU'RE BREAKING MY HAND!!!!" Arata said. "R-remember Lamaze class!! The breathing!!!"

"O-S!!! O-S!!! O-S!!!!" Osaka wailed.

"C'mon, Osaka-san! Push!!" Chiyo yelled from the back.

"AH'M PUSHIN'!!!! AAAAAAGH!!!!! O-S-O-S-O-S-O-S-O-S-O-S-O-S!!!!!!!!" Osaka yelled.

…

A few hours later…

…

Pan lay in bed at Kagura's house, next to the quietly sleeping Koharu.

Sleep would not come to poor Pan. She had been awake since the very beginning of this… and Osaka's screams of pain that she heard as she left the hospital had done nothing to calm her down…

Even Koharu sleeping there next to her didn't help… this was one of those things where the only thing that would calm Pan down would be to see Osaka get through all of this, and be ok.

It was now 8am Thursday, January 15th, almost 19 hours since Osaka's water broke at her wedding. Kagura and Kaorin were already up, prepping for the day ahead of them.

The phone rang, and Kaorin answered it.

Pan sat down at the table, giving a huge yawn. Missing out on sleep completely, she was now more tired than ever. She sleepily poured her bowl of cereal, and poured milk on it. She then began a slow, tired eating, every once in a while stopping to yawn.

"Ok…I'll make sure to tell her. Thank you, Osaka-san." Kaorin said, and she hung up the phone.

Kaorin made her way to the table, and sat down next to Pan. "Pan… your baby brother will be waiting for you at home after school today."

Pan seemed to perk right up. "And Ayu-mama… is she ok?"

Kaorin smiled, and nodded. "She's fine."

"And…Ara-papa… is he ok too?" Pan asked.

At this, Kaorin gave a nervous laugh. "Well… he will be."

Pan looked incredibly panicked. "What?! What happened?!"

"Well… his hand is broken…so they pretty much had to bandage it up…" Kaorin said, nervously scratching the side of her head while sweatdropping.

Pan breathed a sigh of relief… at least he was ok for the most part.

But now Pan had something to look forward to at the end of the day!

She quickly grabbed her backpack, hugged Kaorin and Kagura goodbye, and took off down the street.

Koharu then groggily walked out, her hair still in a bit of a mess.

"What'd I miss?" she asked groggily.

…

You know whenever there's something said to be waiting for you when you get home from school (or work) and the day just seems to drag… like, FOREVER?

Yeah…that's how Pan felt.

Her tiredness was pushed to the back of her mind… and was actually forgotten back there as well. Her classes dragged on forever, her anxiousness not being shown that much… but you could still tell by looking into her eyes she was excited.

And FINALLY… the day came to an end, and Pan rushed out…

Which surprised absolutely everyone. She was usually the last one out…

Pan dashed down the street, making her way towards her Ayu-mama's house.

Stopping to catch her breath for only a moment, she continued until she was finally on the block where her house was.

She dashed her way to the door, and knocked on it.

"Coming!" Came Arata's call. Pan heard his footsteps, then the doorknob turn, and the door opened, revealing the rather-happy looking Arata, his right hand all bandaged up.

"Ah, Pan." Arata said with a smile. Pan entered the house and took off her shoes.

She saw Osaka sitting on the couch. Surprisingly, Osaka still looked rather pregnant, despite having already given birth.

Pan began walking towards Osaka… each step felt like walking towards one of the biggest presents on Christmas day…

Pan slowly got up onto the couch. Osaka smiled at her as she got up.

"Pan…" Osaka whispered. "This is your baby brother…Akeno."

Pan looked down at little Akeno. Curled up in Osaka's arms, he looked absolutely adorable. Pan noted how, even this close now, that he looked so small…

Arata came and sat down on the other side of Pan…

And that's when Akeno began to stir.

Then, his eyes opened.

He had a set of the biggest light-brown eyes Pan had ever seen. The eyes reminded her of Osaka…while the eye color reminded her more of Arata.

Akeno's eyes traveled… first to Osaka's eyes…then to Arata's… then to Pan's.

Their eyes locked.

And they stared… Pan remained frozen, unsure of how to react to such a tiny, delicate creature…

"Give him your finger." Arata whispered, nudging Pan a bit.

Pan, still a bit nervous, slowly reached to Akeno, her index finger extending out from her fist.

When it came into reach, Akeno grabbed hold of it with his tiny hands. Pan noted how both hands had to be used to wrap around her rather large finger.

Pan could feel him squeezing it… but it didn't hurt in the slightest. Truthfully… it felt like just a gentle squeeze…

"You wanna hold him?" Osaka asked.

"U-um… is it ok?" Pan asked meekly.

"It's easy." Arata said, putting his arms into a cradling position to show Pan. "Just like this."

Pan put her arms into the position that Arata showed… then Osaka handed Pan her little brother.

Pan sat there, holding her not-even-a-day old brother in her arms. Akeno reached up, and gently grabbed hold of Pan's shirt. Pan blushed, unsure of how to take it. Akeno gently tugged on it a bit before letting go. He looked up into Pan's eyes one more time before his own eyes gently closed.

"Awwww… he fell asleep" Osaka said with a smile.

Pan was suddenly reminded of her own tiredness at that moment. She gently handed Akeno back to Osaka before simply placing her head on Osaka's arm, and closing her eyes, falling asleep immediately after that.

"Awwww… guess she was kinda tired too." Osaka said.

And so, Arata lifted Pan and took her off to bed, while Osaka took Akeno upstairs to her and Arata's room, where there was a crib. Osaka placed Akeno in the crib, then went to the bed, and lied down. Arata then came into the room, placing one more happy look at the sleeping Akeno before climbing in next to Osaka, and the two of them falling asleep within seconds.

And thusly, the Kasuga family, with the whole birth ordeal the previous night, was now sound asleep in the early evening.

…

Author's Notes:

Akeno: In the morning; bright shining field; beautiful sunrise/dawn.

I picked the name, and thought it would be rather appropriate that he be born in the morning… having poor Osaka go through night time labor's. Probably not fun for her.

But a short little interlude chapter must now take place, for I have a small plot to take care of.

Next Chapter: Karate Entry


	140. Karate Entry

Karate Entry

…

We join Koharu… earlier that same day.

Koharu watched Pan run off… and then turned off into town.

She walked her way through the crowds of people that were getting out of work and school, and were coming down to go shopping.

She made her way to that karate dojo… and walked in.

"HI-YA!"

Koharu stopped in her tracks. A karate match was going on between two boys.

"SAI-YA!"

A high kick was blocked, and was about to be countered by a karate chop when the boy who threw the kick jumped back, avoiding the chop completely.

"AND STOP!"

A much taller woman, whom Koharu guessed to be the sensei of the dojo, came walking in, wearing the usual white garb that one would expect someone of karate to have. The woman reminded her quite a bit of her Natsuko-mama… except her hair was a bit longer in the back, and she was missing that Kagura tan.

"Very good." She said to the boy who had jumped back. "You saw that your opponent had closed up his weaknesses, and you jumped back to avoided any harm yourself."

It was at this moment that Koharu swallowed, and stepped forward.

"New visitor." The Sensei said, causing the whole class to look back right at Koharu, which in turn caused Koharu to freeze. "Do not step on the mat with shoes."

Koharu quickly and rather nervously took her shoes off, as well as setting her backpack by them before walking onto the mat. On both sides of her were students sitting cross-legged, each of them having different colored belts around their waist, but all of them wearing that usual white garb.

"Little one, karate is not for the light-hearted…nor the underaged." The sensei said, crossing her arms.

"Hey, I'm already 7!" Koharu retorted angrily. "And I'm not light-hearted! I'll kick the butt of any person who wants some!" To make her point, she even punched her fist into her own hand.

However, no one in the dojo flinched in the slightest.

"Very well… let's see you take on Haruto." The sensei said. A small boy, only about the age of 10 or 11, with a white belt, stood up and stepped forward. "He's a new boy to the dojo, but he has been learning well. I think he should be more than enough of a challenge."

"Peh… we'll see." Koharu said with a grin, turning herself to face Haruto.

"Wait. I'll take her on."

A different student, this one with a red belt, stepped forward. Koharu gasped as she recognized the student instantly.

"K-Kaori?!"

Kaori Kimura, her eyes still glaring anger, rage, and hurt, stepped out of the crowd, her black hair waving behind her back.

"So…you two know each other?" The sensei asked.

"I hate her." Kaori growled.

Koharu remained rather stunned. This was a surprise all on its own, and she had no clue what she was going to do.

"Permission to fight, Yami-sensei?" Kaori asked.

"Alright then." The sensei said. "Fight."

Kaori took a stance, still looking as angry as ever.

"W-wait… Kaori…" Koharu pleaded. "I don't want to…"

BAM!!!

With amazing speed, Kaori had closed the distance she and Koharu had on each other, and had delivered a sharp punch to Koharu's stomach.

Koharu coughed as all the breath she had was lost.

Kaori then backed right up, and delivered a spinning kick that hit Koharu's face. Koharu's world spun, and she felt herself hit the ground hard.

The entire dojo was silent. None more so than Koharu. Why did Kaori want to beat her like this?

Koharu pushed herself up from the ground, and stood, facing Kaori.

"Why are you doing this, Kaori?" Koharu asked.

"You remember that night on the beach?" Kaori asked. "I remember it… I asked you not to help… yet you did anyway. You flipped me to prove a point… you caught me off-guard then…but not now."

Moving so fast that Koharu couldn't keep up, Kaori landed a straight punch to Koharu's face.

Koharu wheeled back, but managed to catch herself before she fell.

Then, Koharu's feet were swept out from underneath her when Kaori landed a low kick to Koharu's ankles.

"ACK!" Koharu landed hard on the mat. As she rolled onto her stomach to push herself up, she suddenly felt an arm push up against the back of her neck, pinning her down onto the mat. Koharu was kept in this position for a few seconds before…

"Winner, Kaori Kimura." The Sensei announced.

The pressure on Koharu's neck was released, and Kaori walked away without ever looking back.

"So, child." The sensei said, turning to Koharu. "You have lost. Hang your head in shame, and leave this dojo."

"No!" Koharu said defiantly, standing herself up.

The sensei's eyes burned. "Excuse me?" 

"No!" Koharu said, still defiant. "I won't give up! I won't just hang my head in shame! Giving up is for wimps!!"

It was at this that Kaori turned back to Koharu. "Koharu, leave this place, before I use my full strength on you."

Koharu ignored Kaori, and instead looked to the sensei. "Please…tell me what I have to do to join. I'll do anything!"

The sensei remained silent for a moment, staring at Koharu, eyeing into Koharu's soul.

"Hmmm… land one punch on Kaori…" The sensei replied.

"Fine by me!" Koharu said. She turned to look at Kaori…only to find she wasn't there.

"Huh?"

BAM!!!!

Koharu felt a strong pain come up from her chin. Kaori had kicked her straight up, and Koharu was now airborne.

"I SAID LEAVE!!!" Kaori jumped into the air. Her leg swung out, and she kicked Koharu straight into the stomach.

Koharu flew, landed hard on the ground, bounced, then landed again and skidded right into the door of the dojo.

"THERE!! I've even helped you to the door!!! Now just go!!!!!" Kaori yelled angrily.

Koharu's body shook with pain…

As she rolled to her stomach…

And pushed herself up…

The sensei stood… slightly admiring the spirit this child had…

Koharu, trying to ignore the pain in her stomach and back, slowly hobbled her way back to the mat.

"Grrrr…" Kaori growled. "Why don't you just give up?!?!"

"Why do you…keep fighting?" Koharu asked.

"You know why." Kaori growled.

Kaori moved again. Koharu swung her fist wildly in hopes of hitting.

The other dojo students watched on with interest…

…as Kaori had caught Koharu's fist right at the wrist, stopping the whole attack completely.

"My turn" Kaori said.

It was a completely new experience for Koharu. For as long as she could remember, SHE had been the one to flip people.

Now Kaori Kimura grabbed full hold of her fist, turned around, and flipped her.

Koharu landed hard on her back. She wasn't sure what hurt more… her back, or having her own move suddenly used on her.

"Ready to give up yet?" Kaori asked.

"N-Not on your life!" Koharu said, standing back up.

Kaori took her ready stance again…

Koharu quickly thought fast… otherwise Kaori would be right on her again…

Koharu looked behind Kaori… her eyes went wide… she gasped.

Kaori, in a panic, whipped around.

Nothing.

It came to Kaori's realization all too late… she had been tricked.

She turned back around to face Koharu…

BAM!!!

A fist hit her cheek, and spun her around.

Koharu had a big smile on her face. She had finally won!

Kaori, meanwhile, had rage burning and seething within her.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!" Kaori whipped around, and hit Koharu square in the stomach as hard as she could.

Koharu fell to her knees, and curled up.

"H-hey…m-match…is over…" Koharu groaned, even though she was finding it hard to breathe.

"You cannot say anything." The sensei spoke up, walking out onto the mat. "By tricking Kaori-san, you agreed through your actions that fighting dirty was allowed."

Kaori then kicked Koharu's face, causing Koharu to uncurl and fall to the mat.

"However, Kaori-san, that was unnecessary." The sensei said.

"I don't care." Kaori said. "I quit."

Kaori turned her back on the group to walk out…

And she was stopped.

By a hand grabbing her ankle.

"Don't…you…can't…" Koharu groaned, blood dripping down from her mouth.

"Yes, I can." Kaori said, turning back to the beaten Koharu. "If I can't win against a little girl, what chance do I have against my one greatest enemy?"

"You…can become…stronger…" Koharu groaned from the mat. "If you quit now… you give up on it…"

Kaori stared back at Koharu, who's blood was now dripping onto the mat.

"And tell me…why do you want to join?" Kaori asked.

"To beat…my rival." Koharu groaned.

A moment's silence passed.

Kaori kicked out of Koharu's grip… and walked out.

"Oh…it is that time, isn't it?" The sensei noted. "Class dismissed."

As most of the class exited out, Koharu slowly stood herself up, her body shaking in pain and exhaustion.

All that now stood in the dojo was Koharu and the Sensei.

"So…can I ask what your full name is, little girl?" The sensei asked.

"Aida Koharu." Koharu said proudly.

"Well…Aida-san…" The sensei said, grinning. "Classes for this dojo start at 4:30 sharp on weekdays, and 8 am on Saturday. If you wish to join, you must be here at that time."

"Yes, Sensei!" Koharu said, already excited. Finally, she would be joining the dojo!!

"Tell me… do your parents know about this?"

"Erg…u-um…e-er…" Koharu began to sweat profusely. "D-do they h-have to know?"

The sensei grinned. Koharu was immediately reminded of her Natsuko-mama just by the grin this sensei gave.

The sensei went into her office, and came back with a slip of paper.

"Tell me… how many parents do you have?" the sensei asked.

"O-one…" Koharu lied.

"Hm…liars have no place in this dojo." The sensei replied.

"Ok, two! But I know one of my mom's isn't going to go for this!!" Koharu yelled in desperation.

"One of your moms? You mean you have two?" The sensei said in a bit of surprise. She then handed Koharu the form. "Well… I want both of their signatures on this by tomorrow anyway."

"What?! But I…"

"Both. Tomorrow. Or you will not be allowed to join." The sensei said. "After all…I'm sure that you don't have a job yet to pay for this dojo's teachings. And I also need a release form signed by parents."

Koharu already began shaking. All that effort to try and join… was already running away from her…

"Sensei…p-please…I'll do anything…" Koharu pleaded.

"Then get it signed. And return it to me." The sensei replied, turning and leaving into her room.

Koharu fell to her knees, continuing to stare at the permission form in front of her. How would her Kaori-kaa-san take this? She wouldn't… she'd end up giving Koharu even stricter rules about coming home and such…

Koharu had never even realized it, but the sensei had already come back out of her room. She was now dressed in her usual street clothes. She wore black leather pants with black shoes. She wore a white tank top that revealed her midriff. And on top of that, she wore a long jacket that would have reminded you of a Matrix movie outfit, but the sensei kept it open in the front. To top it all off, she wore a white belt around her head, which was tied in the back, and dragged in the back.

The sensei first walked past Koharu… then stopped at the doors.

"Hey, Aida-chan…" The sensei said. "You need a ride home?" 

"Y-yeah…th-that…would be nice…thanks…" Koharu said, picking up the form. She quickly wiped away a tear from her face before stuffing the form into her backpack before putting on both her shoes and her backpack, then leaving the dojo.

"So…what's your name, sensei?" Koharu asked on her way out to the car.

The sensei smiled. "Yami. Yami Kaijuu."

The two got into the car, and drove off.

…

Kaijuu pulled her car up to the Aida-Kagura household. Already, Koharu was shaking a bit.

"Th-thanks for the ride…" Koharu said, slowly stepping out of the vehicle.

The vehicle then shut itself off, and Kaijuu got out on the other side.

"Huh? What are you doing?" Koharu asked.

"Well, I want to meet these parents of yours." Kaijuu said. "After all… not every day I get to meet a lesbian couple in Japan."

Kaijuu began a pleasant walk to the door while Koharu was incredibly far behind her, thinking _oh my god…she has a death-wish_.

Kaijuu knocked on the door while Koharu remained a safe distance behind.

The door opened… revealing Kaorin.

"Hi there!" Kaijuu began pleasantly. "You the mother of the child back there?"

Kaijuu thumbed at Koharu, who began shaking slightly.

Kaorin looked back, and instantly got a very scary glare.

"Yes…is she in trouble?" Kaorin asked in a growling tone.

"No, no… I'm just here to drop her off… and I wanted to get to know her parents better." Kaijuu replied with a smile. "She has a very diligent spirit, you know."

"Yes…I do know." Kaorin said, still a bit uncertain. "You sure she's not in trouble?"

"Yes… she could not be further from it." Kaijuu replied.

Kaorin gave one last glare to Koharu, then decided that the truth had been told.

"Alright then… please, come in." Kaorin said, stepping aside to let Kaijuu in.

Kaijuu stepped in, and took off her shoes. Koharu quickly dashed inside, taking her own shoes off at the door.

"Imgonnagoupstairsandohomeworksohavefunkaorikaasan!!" Koharu yelled as she dashed up the stairs.

"KOHARU AIDA-KAGURA, FREEZE!!!"

Sub-zero temperatures couldn't freeze more than Koharu did right then.

"Get…back…down here." Kaorin growled.

Koharu slowly made her way down the stairs and back into the living room.

_I see now which parent this kid fears…_Kaijuu thought to herself. _And with that little stunt, I'm pretty sure this parent knows something is up._

"Couch." Kaorin growled, pointing.

Koharu quickly got up onto the couch, and gulped.

"So… um…Ms…" Kaorin asked, turning to the newcomer.

"Um…Yami. Yami Kaijuu."

"Yami-san… exactly why did you bring Koharu home anyway?" Kaorin asked.

_Yup…she knows… guess there's no hiding it now…_Kaijuu thought.

Already, Koharu was trying to signal that she didn't want Kaijuu to tell, but Kaijuu wasn't about to change her mind.

"Well…" Kaijuu started. "I'm… a sensei at a karate dojo."

Already, the dark energy began to radiate from Kaorin, and both Koharu and Kaijuu could see it.

"A-and…um…" The karate master was now quivering a bit. "K-Koharu-chan c-came in and asked t-to join…"

Kaorin gave just a tiny glare to Koharu… who in turn began shaking like she was in an earthquake.

"Um…heh…" Kaijuu swallowed. "You know… you're quite scary…"

"Yami-san…" Kaorin mumbled. "Koharu got into a fight with someone at school… I already know that her ulterior motive in this is to use this to beat her rival."

"Ah… so that's why…" Kaijuu said, looking at Koharu, who was still quivering, and now looking rather defeated. "Well… if you want me to, Aida-san… I could always put Koharu through some special training."

"No need. She won't be joining." Kaorin said sternly.

Koharu hung her head.

"Aida-san…when I say special training… I mean training that will be much harder than the usual karate training…" Kaijuu said, still trying to convince her. "It will be good for Koharu-chan… one that will teach her to control her emotions better, and be a bit better disciplined."

There was a sudden silence. Those words had hit Kaorin, and it had gotten to start thinking…

And at that moment, the front door opened.

"Hi, everyone! I'm home!!" Kagura said with a smile.

Kaijuu turned around… Kagura stared at the newcomer…

Their eyes met…

There was even more of that awkward silence…

"Have we…met somewhere before?" Kaijuu asked.

"I'm…wondering the same thing…" Kagura said, tilting her head a bit.

Kaorin looked back and forth between Kaijuu and Kagura a few times.

"Boy…this is as awkward as that time Chiyo met Yotsuba…" Kaorin mumbled.

"Yes, erm…anyway, very pleased to meet you. I'm Kagura…" Kagura replied.

"Oh yes… Koharu's other mother." Kaijuu said. "I must say, I've never met lesbians before. This is quite a treat for me."

Kagura and Kaorin both blushed.

Koharu decided she would ask her parents what 'lesbians' were later…

"Anyway… I was just discussing with your…'life partner' here…" Kaijuu said.

"Erm…she's actually…my wife." Kagura said, blushing indecently, but still holding up her wedding ring.

"Oh wow!!" Kaijuu said, grabbing Kagura's hand to get a better look at the ring. "Solidifying your love by marriage! This IS something new…"

"Erm…yeah…" Kagura said, embarrassingly pulling her hand away. "Anyway… would you like something to drink?"

"No, no… I was just discussing with your wife…" Kaijuu stopped, and gave something of a schoolgirl giggle. "…your wife…about your daughter's wish to join karate."

"Karate, huh?" Kagura said with a smile. "Sounds interesting. What does she need to do to join?"

"Kagura!!" Kaorin said from behind Kaijuu. "We need to discuss this!!"

"Oh, c'mon Kaori" Kagura replied. "She's interested, and there's something that's allowing her to expand on that interest!"

A small giggle was heard, and Kagura and Kaorin looked at Kaijuu.

"You two fight like a wife and husband… god…" Kaijuu giggled again.

Kagura and Kaorin's faces both turned red.

"Well…I must be going…" Kaijuu said. "But I left a permission slip with Koharu that I want signed by the both of you should you agree to this."

And with that, Kaijuu left, taking one more glancing look at Kagura.

_I could almost swear I know her from somewhere…_ Kaijuu thought as she left.

…

Author's notes: OMG!!!

Yeah, Kaijuu Yami, from a project I was once on known as Azu-brawl, comes now to ADR to live on.

When you get the chance, check out Cartoonlion's (zeldapeach here) dA gallery, and check out the picture of Kaijuu~

Next Chapter: Koharu's Test


	141. Koharu's Test

Koharu's Test

…

Friday, January 16th

…

Kaijuu stood at the head of her dojo, the many students sitting their cross-legged, ready to begin today's lesson.

The door opened…

Kaori Kimura, outfit and all, came walking in.

"So glad you came back, Kaori-san." Kaijuu said.

"Hmph." Kaori muttered, taking her shoes off at the door, then taking her sitting position where it usually would be.

The door opened once more.

Koharu, beaming quite brightly, came walking in. She put her shoes by the door, along with her backpack. She opened up the backpack, pulled out the permission sheet with both Kagura's and Kaorin's signature on it, then came walking up to Kaijuu with it, and handed it to her.

Kaijuu smiled. "Welcome to the dojo, Koharu-chan."

"Thank you, sensei." Koharu said, giving a deep bow.

"Now… go sit over there." Kaijuu said, pointing to a stool in the corner.

"Huh?!" Koharu's face turned to one of small shock.

"Oh… and you must wear this." Kaijuu said, placing a dunce-hat right on Koharu's head.

"WH-WHAT?!?! Sensei, is this a joke?!"

"No joke!! Sit!!" Kaijuu yelled, still pointing at the stool in the corner.

Koharu growled, and moved her way to the dunce chair, sitting in it with her arms crossed.

"That's not how people of karate sit, Koharu-chan." Kaijuu said with an evil smile.

Koharu seethed…

She first tried to cross her legs on the stool… only to fall off.

No one laughed… but Kaori gave an evil grin.

Koharu stood herself and the stool back up. She got back on the stool, and managed to sit cross-legged on it.

"You lost your hat." Kaijuu noted.

Koharu, having to use every last ounce of her flexibility, grabbed the dunce had, and put it back on her head.

"Good…" Kaijuu said. "Now… you shall watch us from that position for the whole lesson today."

"Y-Yes…Sensei…" Koharu seethed.

For the next two hours, Koharu sat on the little stool, cross-legged with a dunce hat on her head.

_This is humiliating…_ Koharu thought.

The two hours seemed to go on forever, even if Koharu still got to watch fights. The fights only lasted a few minutes, and they were rare. Most of the time, they were just doing pushups, or exercising, or possibly discussing what sort of moves you can make when in a karate fight.

Finally, the two hours passed. Koharu had to go to the bathroom incredibly bad, but Kaijuu made her stay there until every last kid had left.

"Now…Koharu." Kaijuu said, standing over Koharu. "You still want to learn karate?"

"Y-yes…" Koharu muttered, trying to hold it in as best she could.

"Good… then you'll be coming with me tonight. Wait here while I change." Kaijuu said.

"Can I please go to the bathroom?!" Koharu yelled.

"Oh…uh, sure." Kaijuu replied.

"Thank you!!!" Koharu sped off as fast as she could while Kaijuu walked into her office to change,

…

Kaijuu and Koharu arrived by car at Kaijuu's house. The two of them stepped out, and walked to the front door.

"Wait here." Kaijuu said, unlocking the door, and stepping inside.

In the meantime, Koharu looked around the neighborhood. It looked like a nice place to live…

A few minutes later, Kaijuu came walking back outside, two buckets and a pair of gloves in tow. She set them down, and wiped the sweat off of her forehead.

"What are those for?" Koharu asked.

Kaijuu gave an evil grin. "Haven't you ever seen the Karate Kid movie? Wax on, Wax off."

"YOU EXPECT ME TO WASH YOUR CAR?!?!" Koharu screamed. "After I had to face utter humiliation at the dojo?!?!"

"Yup." Kaijuu said, still grinning evilly. "And if you don't, you won't join. Simple as that."

Koharu growled some more, and started putting on the gloves. "How many other kids had to do this?"

Kaijuu went into thought. "mmmmmmmmm…none."

Koharu's hand squeezed tightly in the glove.

"Well… let me know when you're done, I'll be inside." Kaijuu said.

"What about my parents?! Kaori-kaa-san will be worried sick about me!!!" Koharu yelled.

"Already called 'em." Kaijuu replied from inside the house.

"Grrrrr… this is humiliating…" Koharu said as she took the two buckets over to Kaijuu's car, and began washing it.

…

We now join Koharu at 7 pm, when the car has been washed and waxed, some places several times over because of spots missed.

Koharu, her incredibly strong arms aching from the cleaning, comes back in to Kaijuu.

"There…I'm done…" Koharu groaned.

"Good. Best be headed home, then. It's almost dark." Kaijuu said.

"Can't you give me a ride, please?! I just washed and waxed your car!!" Koharu groaned.

"Exactly! Don't wanna get it dirty." Kaijuu said with a grin.

Koharu seethed again, then grabbed her backpack in an angry fury, and left.

…

Koharu wouldn't make it home until 7:30 that night, as the darkness was beginning to settle. Kaorin wasn't angry at all, Kaijuu had called them far beforehand, as she had said.

Koharu then ate her late dinner, and just barely managed to finish her homework before collapsing in bed and falling asleep at about 8:30 that night.

…

Saturday, Koharu was up and wide awake when her alarm went off at 6:30. She was thinking things were going to be far better.

Making her way along the street, she made it to the dojo easily by 7 am.

However, Koharu never expected none other than Kaori Kimura to come walking up to the dojo at about the same time.

"Wow…you're here early…" Koharu said.

"Hmph." Kaori said, stepping angrily past Koharu into the dojo.

Koharu grumpily entered the dojo behind her.

"Hello, Kaori-chan. I see you're early as usual." Kaijuu said.

"Yes, Sensei..." Kaori said in her usual unhappy, uncaring tone. Kaori took her shoes off at the doorway, then went over to a boxing bag hanging from the ceiling, and started slugging at it.

"Koharu-chan…I see you are early as well." Kaijuu said with a grin. "Come with me."

Koharu took her shoes off at the doorway as well, and Kaijuu led Koharu to a small storage room, where there was karate gear of all shapes and sizes.

"You see those weights there?" Kaijuu said, pointing to the tons upon tons of weights in the room. "We're going to be weight-lifting today, so I want all of those out here."

"Yes, ma'am!" Koharu said. She went into the room while Kaijuu simply walked to her office.

Kaijuu came out of her office, attendance list in hand, when she noticed that some of the more heavier weights were already set out.

And in fact, Koharu came into the center of her view, set down some incredibly heavy weights down onto the floor, then went back for some more, almost as if she was unfazed by the weight.

_Geez…strong kid._ Kaijuu noted.

Once all the weights were set out, Koharu was then set into the corner with the dunce hat on once again. Slowly, more kids began to show up the closer it got to 8.

When it reached 8:00, Kaijuu began taking attendance.

"Well, well…" Kaijuu said with a grin as she finished. "Everyone is here… and on time, too. I must say, having the new student do this must be healthy for you all."

Kaijuu's head turned to Koharu. "That's something I failed to mention, Koharu-chan. Anyone who is late on Saturday morning will be sitting in that chair with the hat you have now on their head instead. Guess you were unlucky today."

_Dang it…_Koharu thought.

At the end of the day (about noon), Koharu was brought over to Kaijuu's house.

"Today, you'll be washing the walls and windows of my house." Kaijuu said.

"This has GOT to be breaking some sort of child-labor law…" Koharu groaned as she put on her gloves.

And it was all the same. Didn't get home until about dinner time, Koharu ate hungrily, then ended up going off to bed to sleep.

Thank god the next day was a Sunday.

…

On Monday after school, Koharu walked into the dojo, expecting to be put on that same stool with that same humiliating hat…

Instead, Kaijuu held out a white outfit with a white belt on top.

"Welcome, Koharu-chan." Kaijuu said. "You are now officially part of this dojo."

Koharu's eyes lit right up.

_Finally…I'm finally on my way to learning karate!!!!_ Koharu thought as she took the outfit with pride and a bow.

"And truthfully… I lied." Kaijuu said.

"Huh?" Koharu asked.

"Every kid here has had to sit in that chair, and wash some part of my house. That's always the first test when entering the dojo. Are you able to withstand humiliation and anything else your teacher may throw at you…and you passed" Kaijuu replied with a grin.

An almost…Kagura-like grin.

_That's…almost creepy…_ Koharu thought.

…

Author's notes: So now Koharu belongs to the dojo. Yay for her~

Heheh… Koharu, Kaijuu, and Kaori Kimura knowing Karate. You know that can't be good.

Next Chapter: Osaka Returns to School, and The Day Passes


	142. Osaka returns to school, the day passes

Osaka Returns to School, and the Day Passes

…

A month passes. The other families get to see little Akeno Kasuga.

Pan came to love her little brother. He rarely ever cried, and was often just sleeping in someone's arms. To Pan, it was like hugging a soft, warm teddy bear who sometimes liked to hug back.

And thusly, we join Osaka after her maternity leave finally ends… Akeno was left at home, with Osaka's mother to watch over him.

…

Monday, February 16th

…

"WELCOME BACK, OSAKA-SENSEI!" The class cheered.

"Awww…thank you, class." Osaka said with a cheerful smile.

"Osaka-sensei?" A student asked, raising his hand.

"Yes?" Osaka asked.

"What was it like, giving birth and all?" The student asked.

"It was kinda like Christmas." Osaka said.

"Christmas?" The student asked. Truthfully, it was on all the students' minds.

"Yeah… the labor and stuff… that was like the days before Christmas, where you're fighting crowds and smelly, old fat guys, and people with screaming children to get the present that your kid just HAS to have." Osaka said. "Then…the birth itself…is kinda like Christmas. His cute, smiling face…is kinda like openin' a present."

"Can we see him?!" One girl in the front asked.

"Eh? Um…I… suppose I could bring him in tomorrow…" Osaka said, thinking about it.

And as you can imagine, the responses were typical high school male and female responses.

The boys were all 'Oh great… I bet there's gonna be dirty diaper smells…'

The girls were all 'Oh, I can't wait to see him, I bet he looks so cute!!!'

…

In the teacher's lounge

…

"So then the kids wanted me ta bring in Akeno…" Osaka said. "Ah don't know how well he'll behave…"

"Just hope he doesn't cry too much…" Nyamo told Osaka. "I know the principal won't mind, so long as he can behave himself."

"Then why is Yukari-sensei still here?" Osaka asked.

Nyamo sighed, and looked back at the sleeping teacher, who was also crying in her sleep.

"No…you can't take away the Sake…you can't…" Yukari whined, tears running down her face.

"I have no clue…" Nyamo replied.

…

And so, on Tuesday, Osaka brought little Akeno in. Within that short month's time, his hair had begun to grow in a little bit, showing that it was possibly going to be dark brown.

He was being carried in a small baby carriage, with a nook in his mouth.

"Alright, Akeno…" Osaka told him. "Here we are…"

Osaka slid the door open, then stepped in and slid it shut. Already, some of the girls were craning their necks to see the cute thing while many of the boys just looked up, and didn't seem to care much.

"Alright, Class…" Osaka said after taking attendance. She then pulled little Akeno out of his carriage, and held him close to her. "This is Akeno."

Akeno's big eyes opened, and turned so he could look at the class.

The girls immediately began swooning from their desks. "Awww, he's so adorable!" was most of the chat.

"Sensei, does he cry a lot?" One boy asked.

"Not a whole lot." Osaka replied. "He kinda whines when he's hungry…"

As if on cue to show the class what Osaka meant, Akeno began to gently whine, as if he was going to cry.

"Oh…guess ah didn't feed him before ah came here…"

And so, Osaka lifted up her shirt and began breastfeeding Akeno.

There was… a slightly awkward silence in the whole classroom. The guys were turning away, as some of them didn't want the mental images of Osaka's breast in their minds.

The girls were rather embarrassed. Having many of the guys witnessing breasts was causing a flurry of blushes amongst the female population.

"So…any other questions?" Osaka asked, almost as if none of this was going on.

There was a very, VERY awkward silence amongst the class.

"Ok… let me just finish feeding Akeno, then we'll begin today's lesson." Osaka said.

…

Osaka and Akeno returned home that night to Arata and Pan.

"So…how was he?" Arata asked.

"He was very well behaved." Osaka replied with a smile. "Strange thing was…whenever I fed Akeno… the whole class would suddenly go silent."

"You think that maybe they don't want to disturb the baby's eating with their talk?" Arata asked.

"Maybe…or maybe they just don't wanna ask the adult questions around the little thing…" Osaka mused.

Pan smelled the air. "Um…Ayu-mama… I think he's got a dirty diaper…"

Osaka and Arata both sniffed the air as well. "Ah… yeah…he does…"

Osaka made her way upstairs to the shared room so that she could change Akeno.

…

But now we rewind a few hours back in the day.

Joe and Sakaki were at home, with Sakaki on her maternity leave.

Sakaki walked about the house, in a cleaning mood no one had seen in her. With a duster in one hand, she walked about, dusting what she could. She would later pull out a vacuum, and vacuum the whole house. Then she would spend her time cleaning windows and such.

Joe, meanwhile, had fed the Iriomotes and poop-scooped their litter boxes (as pregnant women are not supposed to be anywhere near kitty litter). He was now lying down on their bed, reading through a naming book.

He could still remember that he had once named the Iriomote cats something very Tomo-like.

Ick. He wanted to avoid that as much as possible.

As he read through the book, he noted how no names really stuck out as 'perfect', but then again, he wouldn't really know until the kids were born what names would go with them.

CoOsaka jumped up on the bed, then sat down, staring right at Joe as he read.

That strange feeling of being watched fell over Joe, and he moved his book to see CoOsaka staring at him.

"You know…" Joe remarked to the Iriomote. "It's quite hard to focus on anything when you're staring at me like that."

CoOsaka didn't respond… instead, she continued staring at him.

_What is it with that cat?_ Joe thought as he went back to reading his book.

"hmmmm… I wonder if we should have a non-Japanese name for one of them… what do you think?" Joe asked CoOsaka.

No response…

Joe moved his book… and still saw the Iriomote staring at him…

"Wait… no, you're not CoOsaka…" Joe noted.

And then, for no apparent reason…

FACE ATTACK!!!

"AAAAAAAGH!!!! COKAORIN, NO!!! BAD KITTY!!!!!" Joe had lost the book, and was now wrestling with the Iriomote that had attached itself to his face.

CoOsaka watched from a distance, her tail now slightly flicking. Apparently, she was enjoying it…

…

Sakaki would come into the bedroom a few moments later… and was caught between a slight cute-gasm, and a laugh.

Joe was on the floor, his arms and legs spread out. On his face, her tail swinging so that it thwacked Joe's head, was CoKaorin, enjoying herself immensely.

CoOsaka and CoMayaa were both watching, seemingly enjoying the spectacle that had taken place.

CoKaorin spotted Sakaki, and immediately let go of Joe's face, and ran over to Sakaki, rubbing up against her leg and purring.

Joe sat himself up, obviously irritated with the recent cat attack on his face.

"So…how'd the name searching go?" Sakaki asked, giving a small giggle.

"It was going well…until I was attacked…" Joe groaned, placing himself back on the bed.

Another small giggle escaped from Sakaki, and then she left to go about some more cleaning.

…

Then, night came.

Nekosa was already fast asleep in her own bed…

Sakaki and Joe were in their own bed…fully awake… disappointment and anguish filling their minds…

It was 12:01am on Wednesday. The predicted day of Sakaki's birth had passed.

Sakaki moved gently within her husband's arms.

"Can't sleep, huh?" Joe said quietly.

"No…" Sakaki replied, her tone giving away to her disappointment.

"Hey…it's ok… it just means they're a little bit late. They're still coming, after all…" Joe mentioned, though it sounded like it was more to make himself feel better… after all, he wanted the kids to come just as bad as Sakaki did.

"Mmm…" Sakaki said, curling up into Joe.

Both of them would then fall asleep, disappointment still in their hearts and minds.

…

Author's notes: yeah, my last two chapters were kind of short, but since this is the birth saga, the longest chapters are going to be the one's where the birth actually happens.

Gotta feel sorry for poor Joe and Sakaki. Waiting for nine months, then missing the expected day…

Next Chapter: Tomo gives Birth


	143. Tomo gives Birth

Tomo Gives Birth

Note: Rated 'M' for language.

…

Still Same Day (Wednesday, February 18th)

In the meantime, during the night…Tomo and Yomi sat on the couch, both of them on maternal leave to take care of Tomo.

And they were watching Mrs. Mizuhara's favorite soap opera… All My Children's Offspring.

…

"I can't do it anymore, Tsuka! I…I just can't!" The girl cried, tears coming down her face. She took in a shaky breathe.

"Rei…you can do it. Your perfect A pluses will not be tarnished because of one homework problem." Tsuka replied.

"Yes, they will!" Rei yelled, crying harder. "My records will be tarnished forever because of this one problem…"

…

Yomi gave a small sniffle.

"BOR-ING!" Tomo groaned. "How can your mother frickin' love this show to the point that she's moved to tears by it?"

"You know… drop the baby already… I want the old you back." Yomi replied. "I hate your cranky side."

"Nah, shut the hell up!" Tomo replied. "Frickin' retaining water… damn well can't drink any soda…"

"I'm going to bed." Yomi said, putting the remote in front of Tomo, and walking upstairs.

"Thank god!!" Tomo said, quickly grabbing the remote. "Hello pornos!"

"Just don't let Koyomiko catch you watching those…" Yomi said with a sigh.

…

Late in the night, around 1 am…two people would be awoken to a sudden and loud scream.

"WHAT THE HELL?!?! I'm frickin' retaining water, then when it breaks, all I get is this little trickle?!?!"

Yomi, who had been having a wonderful dream, sighed heavily. "I want the old Tomo back… so badly…"

Koyomiko just groaned, and covered her head and ears with her pillow…

Before sitting straight up.

"WAIT!!! MY SISTER'S COMING?!?! This looks like a job for Super Koyomiko! Away!!!!!"

ZOOOOO-SMACK!!!!

"Curse you, Wall… my arch nemesis…" Koyomiko muttered, falling back to the floor after hitting the wall rather hard.

…

Tomo, Yomi, and Koyomiko walked into the hospital that morning. Tomo's water retention was showing clearly, but she was also carrying with her, a large soda.

Luckily, Chiyo had just been walking through the reception area.

"Oh, Tomo… what are you doing here?" Chiyo asked. "Your appointment isn't until next week…" 

"My water broke last night!" Tomo said, panting and heaving, though with a smile.

"And we had to go out and buy a soda for when she does finally give birth… so she can chug the whole thing down…" Yomi said with an obviously aggravated sigh.

"Shut up, Yomi…" Tomo retorted. "Last I heard, you wanted this baby out 'cause I'm bein' such a crab a-"

"MamaswaterbrokeandIcantwaitformysistertocomeimjustsoexcited!!!!" Koyomiko interrupted, her excitement no longer being able to be contained.

Chiyo gave a small laugh and a sweatdrop. "Well…glad to see you're excited for it, Koyomiko-chan… c'mon, let's get going then."

…

Chiyo led Tomo into a birthing room while Yomi sat out in the waiting room with Koyomiko, and made a call…

A few minutes later, Kagura, Kaorin, Koharu, and, to Kagura and Kaorin's surprise, Pan, showed up in the waiting room.

"Thank you so much for coming." Yomi said.

"Hey, we're gonna be here for all the kids' births. Gives us a chance to get first looks." Kagura said with a grin.

Yomi chuckled. "Well, thanks anyway." She turned and knelt down by Koyomiko. "I'm gonna go in by your Mama. You sit out here and be good."

"But…why can't I come in by Mama?" Koyomiko asked.

"Adults only, Koyomiko. Don't worry, you'll still get to see your sister soon." Yomi said. She kissed Koyomiko's forehead, and then went into the back area.

Koyomiko quickly sat down in a chair that was facing the door to which Yomi had entered.

Pan gently blushed, and went to a chair a bit further away.

"Oh, no you don't."

Koharu quickly grabbed her sister, and pulled her towards Koyomiko. Pan's blush became darker as Koharu sat Pan down right next to Koyomiko, then took a seat right behind Pan.

Pan became nervous and fidgety, twiddling her thumbs and casting only small glances in Koyomiko's direction before quickly looking away.

"Say something." Koharu whispered.

"Hm? What'd you say, Koharu-chan?" Koyomiko asked.

"Erm…PAN…just wanted to say that she can't wait to see your sister either." Koharu quickly said.

Pan nodded quickly.

"So am I, Melon!!" Koyomiko replied, slightly bouncing in her seat in excitement.

"Melon?" Koharu asked.

"It's the nickname I gave to Pan! 'cause she likes the Melon Bread!" Koyomiko said, still bouncing up and down in her chair.

Koharu made a 'blech' face.

Then nothing seemed to happen as Koyomiko waited for an hour…

Then two…

Then three…

And Pan found herself unable to breathe.

Why? Because Koyomiko had leaned herself right on Pan's shoulder. What's more is Koyomiko had wrapped her left arm around the front of Pan's body.

And was giving a small, cute smile on top of that.

"Hehe… how's that, Pan?" Koharu asked.

Pan couldn't even find the breath to answer her sister…

…

But while Pan was having the greatest moment of her life (so far), another was going through some immense pain…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!! HEE HEE HEE, HOO HOO HOO!!!!"

"C'mon, Tomo, breathe!!! Just breathe!!!" Yomi yelled.

"C'mon, Tomo! Push!! Push!!" Chiyo yelled.

"AAAAAARGH!! FUCKING SON OF A BITCH M-"

Yomi's face went red…

Chiyo's mouth dropped open…

And Tomo just went on, cursing and cursing and cursing. Some words were so horrible that Yomi just about threw up… others were words no one had ever really heard before…

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!" Tomo gave one final push.

"It's out!!" Chiyo yelled, taking hold of the small child.

SPLAAAAAAASH!!!

…

"What the hell?" Kagura asked, hearing the splash. "They swimming in there?"

…

"So…that's where all of the water w-TOMO!!!"

Yomi looked over to Tomo to see her already guzzling down the soda. The bottle was empty within a minute.

After the soda was gone, Tomo took a deep breath. "HOT DAMN!!!! Finally!!!!"

Everyone sighed. Leave it to Tomo to make the birthing process a lot harder than what it needed to be.

"So… can I hold her?" Tomo asked.

"Not yet… we still have to cut all the tentacles off." Chiyo said, laughing as she walked out.

"That's still not funny!!!" Tomo yelled back. Yomi snickered.

…

Tomo and Yomi now sat in the birth room, while the newly born baby was cleaned and checked.

Tomo was holding the baby book, reading for a new possible name.

"So…pick out a good one yet?" Yomi asked.

"Hmmmm…" Tomo flipped through the book, searching for a good name. "Oh, how about Tomoko?"

"Why?" Yomi asked.

"Well, we already have a Koyomiko… why not a Tomoko too?" Tomo asked, giving a small grin.

"How about no." Yomi replied, though giving a small smile that the normal Tomo she had come to know and love was returning.

"All right…mmmm…" Tomo looked back to the book. "Ah, what about Tomiko?"

Yomi quickly snatched the name book from Tomo's hands, and looked.

"That name is right above Tomoko, you dork." Yomi said with a small grin. Tomo just gave her a big wildcat grin.

"Well, I think it would fit her well…" Tomo replied. "Treasured beauty child."

Yomi looked into the book… and her smile grew.

"Hm…that's true…" Yomi replied. "Ok…Tomiko Takino-Mizuhara."

"Perfect." Tomo said with a big grin.

"Better than having her have no name while we try and figure one out anyway…" Yomi noted.

…

In a completely separate universe, a different Tomo and Yomi both sneezed.

…

There was a moment's pause.

"So… is this the part where we get all… romantic and stuff?" Tomo asked, a small glint in her eye. "You know… love that the new baby is here and whatnot…"

Yomi looked over at Tomo with a stern expression… which lessened up the more she stared.

"Meh, why not?"

Yomi set the name book down, then leaned in…

"Congrats, it's go…" Coming in, Chiyo paused as she saw the closeness Tomo and Yomi were to each other.

The pair stared at the prodigy for a moment…

"Um…I'll just come back later…" and Chiyo left, shutting the door behind her.

"Now that's service" Yomi noted, turning Tomo's head so she faced her lover, and the two passionately kissed.

…

"Koyomiko…"

Koyomiko's eyes slowly opened. She gave a yawn, and rubbed them a bit to clear them, and looked up into Chiyo's smiling face.

"C'mon, you can come see your little sister now."

Koyomiko quickly took Chiyo's hand, and was led back to where Tomo and Yomi were both sitting, Tomo gently cradling the baby.

Koyomiko's eyes went wide in wonder and child curiosity. She crawled up onto the bed, and looked into Tomo's arms at her sister.

"Koyomiko…" Tomo whispered. "This is your sister… Tomiko."

"Woah…" Koyomiko said, looking at her. "She seems… so small."

"She'll grow up fast, don't worry." Yomi replied.

There was a moment's pause as Koyomiko looked at her new sister for a while.

"Can I…touch her?" Koyomiko asked.

"Sure you can… you can even hold her if you want." Tomo replied with a gentle smile.

"Really?" Koyomiko asked in surprise.

Tomo nodded. "Just… be careful."

Koyomiko held out her arms, and Tomo gently handed Tomiko over. "Cradle her close to your body, like I had her."

Koyomiko did so… and little Tomiko gently moved herself to cuddle into Koyomiko.

"She's so cute…" Koyomiko said, a big smile on her face.

"That she is, Koyomiko… that she is…" Tomo responded.

…

Author's notes: The beginning was a bit better written before…though I ended up accidentally saying 'no' to saving my changes the first time I wrote it , so I lost all of it

But anyway, this now brings Tomiko Takino-Mizuhara to the world!

Originally, I was going to name her Tomoko (with an O), but someone by the name of Raff gave birth to a Tomo/Yomi child with that name, so I had to come up with something different.

And yes, Tomiko is right above Tomoko in the Japanese name list I used XD

Next chapter: Two weeks late, two kids out.


	144. Two weeks late, two kids out

Two weeks late, two kids out

…

Saturday, February 28th

…

"Did you bring any fruits or vegetables with you today?"

"Two weeks"

"Excuse me?"

"T-Two weeks…"

…

"Man, this is a really old movie…" Nekosa said, as she popped another piece of popcorn into her mouth. She, Joe, and Sakaki were all sitting on the couch watching the movie.

"Yeah… it's one of Schwarzenegger's older videos named Total Recall… I'm surprised I found it in that box of mine…" Joe replied.

Sakaki, meanwhile, couldn't bear to watch. She stood up (with the help of the couch arm), and instead left the living room and headed for the kitchen.

Joe noticed Sakaki walk into the kitchen, so he placed the popcorn in Nekosa's lap, and followed after her.

As Joe came in, he saw that Sakaki was sitting at the table, her pregnant belly sticking outwards, while Sakaki leaned in and on the table, staring out the window.

Her husband could already sense… something was bothering Sakaki.

"It…reminded me…" Sakaki said, her voice cracking slightly. "…it's been…almost two weeks now… and my water still hasn't broken…"

Almost two weeks since her expected delivery day… and still, her water had not broken.

Joe gave a heavy sigh… "I know… believe me, Tanaka… I want them to come out as badly as you do right now…"

There was a moment of silence while explosions happened on the movie Nekosa was watching. Nekosa continued watching, popping some popcorn into her mouth every once in a while, her tail flicking slightly.

Joe stared at Sakaki's belly… wondering what those kids were doing in there…

Sakaki stared out the window… thinking thoughts that she mostly kept to herself…

_Geoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow_

Sakaki blushed indecently at the noise.

"Your stomach calls…" Joe mumbled. He headed to a cabinet where some food was stored… and found it bare.

Opening more cabinets and cupboards… and even the fridge… found them all to be almost completely bare.

"Good god…" Joe said, a slight amount of shock in his voice. "Guess we need to go to the store…again."

Sakaki sighed and struggled to get up. "We go every day now…"

Joe quickly darted over and helped his wife up. "Don't worry about it… your appointment with Chiyo is Monday, after all. If we really want to, we'll have her artificially break your water."

Sakaki nodded… but it was one of those things she was hoping wouldn't happen.

On her way to get her coat… Sakaki made a stop by Nekosa's room. It had already been changed to have two cribs, a changing table, and everything else needed for the kids…

They were all prepped… but the kids were late.

…

The Sakaki family would head out, and make their way first to a restaurant to fill the three for lunch. Next would be the grocery store.

…

"Alright, Nekosa, what's next on the list?" Joe asked.

Nekosa looked at the list in her hands, then to the isles. "Mmmmm… cereal, which is in isle 7."

Sakaki was slightly panting as she tried keeping up with her husband and child… these simple grocery store trips wore her out horribly, with the extra weight she had to carry…

While Joe and Nekosa searched the isles looking for cereal, Sakaki came panting around the corner.

"Hmmm…" Nekosa said, studying a cereal box in front of her. "I can never decide what cereals to have…"

"Get the one's with lotsa sugar!!"

"Oh no…" Joe groaned. He didn't even have to look… he knew that voice by heart.

"Oh yes!" Tomo said with a big wildcat grin. She was out with Yomi, two-week old Tomiko was being carried by Tomo in a small basket, while Koyomiko couldn't seem to get enough of staring into the small basket at her sister.

Sakaki, still trying to catch her breath, couldn't help but feel depressed as soon as she saw the little basket carrying Tomiko, and even more so when she saw Koyomiko happily staring into the basket.

"Soooo…" Tomo gave a wildcat grin.

"Tomo… don't say it…" Yomi warned.

Joe's grip on a box of cereal became rather tight…

"Out cereal shopping, eh?" Tomo said. "I still say you should get the ones with lots of sugar."

"Not exactly healthy for you, Tomo." Joe replied rather bluntly, putting a particular box into the shopping cart that Sakaki had.

"Psh. Eat healthy, die anyway." Tomo replied. "You should live life to the fullest while ya can!"

Nekosa came trotting up to Koyomiko. Knowing that it was a slightly sensitive subject, Nekosa whispered. "Hey, Koyomiko-chan…what's it like, having a new sister?"

"It's nice!" Koyomiko said. "She cries when she wants something… and her diapers are very stinky… but she likes to cuddle, and she likes to grab my finger and giggle a lot, it's really cute!"

"Awww…" Nekosa looked down at Tomiko, who looked back. "Hi there…"

Tomiko looked to her sister, and reached out for her. Koyomiko put out a finger, Tomiko grabbed it, and giggled.

"Ain't that just cute?" Tomo asked as everyone watched.

SPLASH!!!

The tranquility of the moment was suddenly lost… and Sakaki's face turned a deep shade of red.

Everyone's head whipped right at Sakaki, causing her face to go to an even darker shade of red.

Tomo, without thinking, leaned out into the main isle.

"Hey, we need clean up in isle 7!"

…

And thusly, Kagura, Kaorin, and Koharu sat with Nekosa while Sakaki and Joe were in the back room at the hospital. Sakaki's contractions had gotten rather sharp around 10 at night.

"Why did we agree to this again?" Kagura asked.

"Because, we're the only two not having any additional children." Kaorin replied.

"But still… I should have known at least one of them would end up having a kid overnight." Kagura said with a yawn.

"Two kids… Sakaki-san's the one with twins, remember?" Kaorin replied.

In the meantime, Koharu was sitting with one incredibly anxious Nekosa.

"You excited, Nekosa?" Koharu asked.

Nekosa nodded. She had been waiting as long as her parents had for the two kids to come.

"What do you think they'll be like?" Koharu asked.

"I hope they're nice… like Koyomiko's sister was…" Nekosa whispered.

"Well, that's guaranteed." Koharu said with a small grin. "From what I hear from Pan, Akeno does the same thing… except without the giggling."

"How do you know?" Nekosa asked, her tail flicking slightly in curiosity.

"Tomo-san came over… woke me up from a nap." Koharu replied, a bit grumpily. "Still… at least I got to see Tomiko-chan."

Nekosa gave a small nod, then looked back to the doors.

Kagura's hand was then placed on Nekosa's shoulder. "C'mon, Nekosa. You'll be sleeping over with us tonight."

Nekosa sighed. "Ok…"

…

Forget sleep. Nekosa would not sleep that night.

Sighing deeply and heavily, she got out of her futon that was on Koharu's floor, and instead went out into the living room of the Aida-Kagura household, and turned on the TV.

"Hello, and welcome to the Late Late Late Late Show"

"Boring." Nekosa said, changing the channel.

"Sir, your twins are out and alive… however, the mother is dying."

"OKAASAAAAAAAAAN!!!!" Nekosa dropped the remote and ran out the door.

However, she took three running steps outside before…

BARKBARKBARKBARKBARK!!!!!

A dog's bark out in the distance forced her right back inside. She slammed the door shut, and was taking deep, heavy breaths in fright.

The light snapped on.

"Nekosa, what are you doing up?" Kaorin asked. She had been carrying a small can of pepper spray for any intruders, and Kagura was coming in behind her, wielding a baseball bat.

"Icantsleepandisawashowontvwherethemomwasdyingandiwasjustsoworriedand…"

"Woah, woah, waoh, calm down!" Kaorin came down and quickly hugged the little girl. "Your mom's alright… she's fine. She's still in the hospital with Joe-san… she'll be fine."

Kaorin slowly rubbed Nekosa's back… Nekosa's tail gently flicked, and she began slightly purring.

"Feel better?" Kaorin asked.

Nekosa nodded in Kaorin's arms. "Can I… sleep with you?"

"No, you can't… c'mon, let's put you back in bed." Kaorin replied.

Nekosa was led back to her room, and she got back into her futon on her own.

"Now don't worry. Your mom and dad will be fine." Kaorin said, gently stroking Nekosa's hair out of her face. "You'll get to see them and the twins tomorrow."

And Kagura and Kaorin left the room, turning the light off on their way. They also made sure to turn off the TV that Nekosa had left on in her panic.

Once Nekosa heard Kagura and Kaorin get into bed, she turned over… but still could not go to sleep.

…

Finally, morning. Sunday, March 1st. Nekosa was fast asleep, having fallen that way at about 3 am.

The phone rang. Nekosa's ear twitched, and turned to the noise as she heard someone come down the stairs to answer it.

…

"Hello." Kagura said. "Erm… who is this? Oh, Joe-san! Geez, you sound a bit raspy… Did it go well? Oh… heheh… well, I'll bring her as soon as she gets up. Ok, bye."

No sooner had Kagura hung up the phone and turned around did she find Nekosa standing there. Nekosa was trying to look as calm as possible… but the small amount of shaking she had going on was giving away her excitement.

"Yes…we're going." Kagura replied with a small sweat-drop.

…

Nekosa entered the hospital alongside Kagura, Kaorin, and Koharu.

Getting directions from the receptionist, the group headed up to the room.

"Oh my god, Joe…" Kagura said, though she was trying to hold back her laughter. "What… (snicker)… happened?"

Joe had a neck brace around his neck.

"Shut up…" Joe groaned in a raspy voice. "Tanaka got hold of my neck when the boy was being born…"

"Ouch" Kaorin replied, though she was trying just as hard to hold back her laughter.

Nekosa, meanwhile, wasn't paying attention. Her child's curiosity coupled with her cat's curiosity was drawn towards those two blankets Sakaki was holding in her arms.

Nekosa hopped up on the bed, her tail flicking. Very slowly, she crawled over to the blankets, and peered in.

She saw two small newborns, both sleeping ever so soundly… Nekosa's tail flicked wildly, like a cat that saw something new.

"You want to hold one?" Sakaki asked with a smile.

"Can I?" Nekosa asked curiously.

"Mmm" Sakaki replied with a nod. "Be gentle."

Nekosa held out her arms, and Sakaki extended hers to gently hand Nekosa one of her newborn siblings.

"Which one is this?" Nekosa whispered.

"Hanako." Joe rasped. "She's the girl."

Nekosa looked down at the small girl, who turned herself in the blankets to be more comfortable.

Nekosa's tail swayed wildly.

SNAP!

"I'm so glad you brought this, Tanaka." Joe rasped out as he looked at the picture he just took on the digital camera.

Nekosa's attention was suddenly diverted from the large flash back to the child in her arms… for she began to stir.

The little child opened her eyes… and looked up at Nekosa. Hanako stared for a moment while Nekosa stared back. Then, she simply curled up a bit tighter in Nekosa's arms, and went back to sleep.

"What about him?" Nekosa asked, looking to the boy still sleeping in Sakaki's arms. "What's his name?"

Sakaki's smile became slightly bigger. "We…actually had problems naming him."

"We first wanted to name him Raiden…" Joe began.

"MORTAL KOMBAT!!!!" Kagura screamed.

"… and that's why we didn't go with it." Joe replied.

"God, Natsuko… you play those games too much…" Kaorin said.

Kagura just gave her usual grin.

"So what'd you go with?" Nekosa asked.

"Ren."

"Seems rather…simple." Kaorin said.

"So does my name." Joe replied. "Which is why we did it. I'd hate to be the only one in the family with a one syllable name."

"Hanako…" Nekosa said, looking at the girl her arms. Then her eyes traveled to the boy in Sakaki's arms. "Ren."

"That's it, Nekosa." Sakaki said with a smile. "And now you're a big sister."

Nekosa smiled, and looked back down at Hanako…. Nekosa began to gently purr…

And Hanako seemed to curl up closer to Nekosa… enjoying the gentle rumble that Nekosa's purr gave off.

…

Author's notes: Isn't that just adorable?

I wasn't quite sure what to write after giving the names, which is why the last part seems either cut off or simply taped on there to end it…

Anyway, now that the babies are out, the time comes to take care of them… fun (cough)

Next Chapter: The way babies work


	145. The way babies work

The Way Babies Work

…

Monday, March 16th,1 AM

…

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!"

The sound of a baby crying.

The first week of having those twins, that sound had made Nekosa absolutely miserable. It was waking her up in the middle of the night, and making it almost impossible for her to get any sort of sleep at all.

Luckily, Joe's mother, who had mothered 5 children of her own, had given Joe a few pointers when he called to ask.

Now, Nekosa slept soundly in Sakaki's room while Joe remained up all night. Then while Sakaki remained at home during the day, he would sleep.

It was hard for both Joe and Sakaki… they weren't cuddling anywhere near as much as they used to. But at least this way they could deal with the twins while Sakaki was still on maternity leave.

Joe quickly headed for the twins' room, and found that Ren had awoken. Quickly checking Ren's diaper and finding it clean, he then took Ren to the kitchen, where he pulled a bottle of milk out of the fridge, and stuck it in the microwave.

As he patted and gently bounced Ren to keep him patient for his bottle, Joe thought to the first time Sakaki had used a breast pump to fill the bottles for these late night runs. It had been utterly embarrassing for her.

But within this last week, she had slowly gotten used to it, especially since it could be used in the bathroom, in privacy away from Nekosa.

Joe didn't quite understand why… she had seen them 'making babies' after all…

The microwave beeped, breaking Joe out of his gaze. He pulled the bottle out of the microwave, and began feeding Ren.

No sooner had Ren started drinking when the cry of Hanako echoed out into the kitchen.

Joe sighed. At least she woke up earlier this time… last time, she had woken up just as Joe had put Ren back to sleep… it had been almost impossible to get them to sleep that night.

…

Tomo and Yomi were in the same dire situation, though luckily, Tomo had Maternity leave.

"14 weeks…" Tomo thought. She tried to figure out the math…

_Let's see… the month before she was born I had to go because I was retaining water…so that's 4 weeks right there… and it's been 2 weeks since Tomiko's been born…so I've got about 8 weeks before I have to go back to work…_

She grinned as she thought this, however. From what Joe had heard from his mother and relayed to them, the United States had 12 weeks _unpaid_ leave for maternity. At least in Japan, she got paid partial wage.

"Heheh… silly U.S." Tomo said.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"

"Oh geez… I'm coming, Tomiko!" Tomo said, standing herself up to head for the baby's room.

Meanwhile, Yomi slept soundly. There was a slight loophole in the maternity leave law for Japan… there was no mention of a paternity leave (leave for fathers when babies are born), but she was just another mother for Tomiko.

Yomi wondered to herself if maybe that was why certain people in the world didn't like same-sex pairs…

...

Osaka and Arata… they considered themselves spoiled.

Osaka had long since returned to work, and didn't suffer any sort of sleep loss at all.

Why, do you ask?

Osaka came to realize that Akeno would drink and drink and drink right before bed. Osaka had first been worried… then she realized he was just filling himself up so he could last through the night.

_He's such a smart boy…_ Osaka thought as she slept soundly, dreaming of…whatever Osaka dreams of.

Pan would sometimes walk herself into Akeno's room when she couldn't sleep…

Just the sight of her younger brother sleeping so soundly and heavily would cause her to drift off into a deep slumber.

…

7 am that same day

…

Osaka kissed Akeno's forehead, then held him out.

"Here ya go, Ma." Osaka said, handing over Akeno in a carrying crib and a big bag filled with baby supplies.

"Thank you, sweetie. Have a good day at work." Izumi said with a smile, taking Akeno and the supplies.

As Osaka turned back, Izumi suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, Ayumu!" Osaka turned back around to face her mother. "Did Hikari tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Osaka asked.

"She caught your bouquet! She'll be the next one to find her love and get married!" Izumi asked.

"Ah! Tell her ah'm happy for her!" Osaka replied with a smile, continuing on her way to work.

"Mooooooooooooooom!!!!" Hikari whispered from behind the door. "That's so embarrassin'!"

"Oh, honey, that's what parents do. They embarrass there kids." Izumi lifted Akeno out of his carrying crib. "Don't they, Akeno?"

Akeno stared at Izumi with his big blue eyes.

"Of course they do!" Izumi said. "Now… let's tell auntie Hikari to have a good day at school."

"See ya, Akeno-chan." Hikari said, also leaving for her day at school.

Izumi waved goodbye to Hikari, then looked to Akeno. "So, what are we going to do today? Oh, I know! How about a bath? Yes, I bet you need one."

Izumi smelled something… and sniffed the air. "Ewww… someone needs a diaper change too."

Izumi turned into her house, and closed the front door.

…

Sakaki sat on the couch… breastfeeding Ren while Joe paced behind her. He had Hanako so her chin could rest on his shoulder, and then he was gently patting her back while walking around and bouncing a little bit. In technical terms, he was burping Hanako, who had been fed a few moments earlier.

Ren looked up at his mother…

"He has my eyes." Sakaki said with a gentle smile.

"Yeah… he does… your dark eyes…" Joe said, his own smile growing on his face. "Hanako has my green eyes."

Ren finally finished, and Sakaki re-clothed herself, then pulled Ren up so she could burp him.

"Ok, I'm headed off to school!" Nekosa said as she ran through the room. A quick kiss to her parents, and to her younger siblings, then she headed out the door at a quick pace.

Hanako finally burped. Joe took the small white cloth he had placed on his shoulder to wipe Hanako's mouth, then kissed her forehead before going to her room and setting her in her crib.

"Alright… I'm going to bed." He said to Sakaki upon returning to the living room. "Have fun."

"Thanks." Sakaki said. The two quickly kissed, and Joe headed up to their room.

When Ren finally burped, Sakaki wiped his mouth with the white burping cloth she had, then kissed his forehead before placing him in his crib across from Hanako's.

She would then go out to the living room, and turn on the television at low volume. Such was the way she had to pass her day…

…

Meanwhile, Yomi carried Tomiko in her carrying crib to a house while Tomo slept.

Now that two weeks had passed, and both Tomo and Yomi had adjusted to the different time schedule they were on, Yomi was bored during the day.

And what better way to spend her day, then with a woman who loved children.

But as she headed up to her house, she saw a vehicle suddenly speed off.

Fearing the worst, she hastened to her mother's doorway, and quickly knocked.

"Mom?!" Yomi screamed, praying for an answer.

"No need to yell, Koyomi." Mrs. Mizuhara said, opening the door. Yomi could tell from one look… something had not gone well.

"Mom…what happened?" Yomi asked, serious concern in her voice.

Mrs. Mizuhara opened the door a bit further… revealing Jill behind her. And Jill looked as displeased as Mrs. Mizuhara did.

"Mom…what happened?" Yomi asked again, softening up her voice a little.

Mrs. Mizuhara sighed heavily. "Please, come inside."

Yomi, still toting Tomiko, quickly stepped inside the house, and took off her shoes.

"Mom…please…what happened?" Yomi asked again. The fact that her mother was avoiding answering the question was making her even more worried.

Mrs. Mizuhara sat down on the couch. Jill quickly sat beside her, and put her hand on Mrs. Mizuhara's.

Mrs. Mizuhara took another deep breath. "Koyomi…that was your father."

There was a moment's pause… done purposefully… for in that time, Yomi figured out just what had transpired.

"He…caught you…" Yomi said.

Mrs. Mizuhara nodded. "He even had roses and chocolates… he was coming to surprise me… and… we surprised him instead."

Mrs. Mizuhara's hands began to shake, even with Jill's hand upon hers.

"It's ok, Mizu-honey. I'm here." Jill said.

"I know you are…" Mrs. Mizuhara said. "But… I still love that man… even if he loves his work more than he does me."

"Mom… what exactly did you see in Dad anyway?" Yomi asked, her own curiosity suddenly sparked by that sudden thought.

Mrs. Mizuhara looked first to Jill.

"Go ahead… I know you did it for children." Jill said with a gentle smile.

Mrs. Mizuhara took in another deep breath, and let it out. "He's… mysterious."

This earned her a confused look from Yomi, and a raised eyebrow from Jill.

Mrs. Mizuhara smiled. "He… just knows things. No one knows how he knows them… he just does."

That made a bit more sense to the other two girls present. Mrs. Mizuhara was known for being a bit of a stalker… and knowing things that she maybe shouldn't…

"Well…" Mrs. Mizuhara sniffled, and lightly dabbed her eyes with a tissue. "I'm hoping you brought my granddaughter with you… that would perk my day right up."

Yomi gave a gentle smile, and hoisted Tomiko out of her carrier. "C'mon, Tomiko… your grandma needs some cheering up."

"Oh, she's so adorable, Mizu-honey!" Jill said with a smile.

Mrs. Mizuhara took Tomiko from Yomi, and simply sat on the couch, holding Tomiko with a smile.

"Ahhhh, does this ever bring back memories…" Mrs. Mizuhara said with a happy smile.

"Memories of you holding me?" Yomi asked.

"Absolutely." Mrs. Mizuhara said. All three girls giggled.

"Oh! This is perfect!" Mrs. Mizuhara declared. "My favorite soap is having an all day special, with the season finale showing tonight!"

"You mean All My Children's Offspring?!" Jill asked. "Quick, turn it on!"

Yomi quickly grabbed the remote, and turned on the TV. At this, Tomiko began to whine.

"Oh dear… seems she's a bit hungry from the trip." Mrs. Mizuhara said. She then looked down at Tomiko. "I'll send you back to your mother for some feeding."

…

Way later that day

…

Tomiko had long since fallen asleep in her crib that Mrs. Mizuhara had pulled out from the days that Yomi had been a baby.

The three girls sat watching the season finale of 'All My Children's Offspring'…

…

Rei was lying on her bed, crying her eyes out.

"Rei… you have to go to school…" Her mother said.

"I'm sorry, Mom…" Rei replied with a sniffle. "My alarm went off… over a half-hour ago…

I'll be…

I'll be…

late."

_DUN-DUN!_

…

Mrs. Mizuhara dabbed her eyes with a tissue. Jill had to blow her nose. Yomi gave a sniffle.

"Her perfect attendance record…tarnished." Mrs. Mizuhara said, having to dab her eyes again to keep the tears from going down her face.

The credits rolled for the season finale.

"Oh, I hate it when they do this!" Jill said. "Always leaving us with a cliffhanger for next season!"

"Like older women like us are going to remember what happened last season…" Mrs. Mizuhara said.

Jill and Mrs. Mizuhara giggled.

_Knock-knock-knock!_

"I'll get it." Yomi said. She quickly left the couch and opened the door…

"Ah! Oh…u-um…h-hey Dad…"

Mrs. Mizuhara and Jill snapped to attention.

Yomi side-stepped, and allowed her father in. He was a Japanese man, standing at almost even height with his wife (he was about 2 cm taller), with brown hair, and deep black eyes. He was also not well-built, an indication that his job did not require that he work out.

As Mr. Mizuhara walked in, Mrs. Mizuhara and Jill stood up.

Mr. Mizuhara approached his wife… Mrs. Mizuhara turned herself to face her husband, her hands down in front of her… awaiting the worst that may happen…

Yomi could just feel the tension all around the room… something you could cut with a butter knife…

Or a baby's scream.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

Mr. Mizuhara looked with slight surprise to the room he heard the crying coming from.

"Erg…I'll get that…" Yomi made a quick run for the room, and pulling Tomiko up to calm her down.

When Yomi came back out holding a calmer Tomiko, Mr. Mizuhara stood looking surprised at his daughter.

"Koyomi…you… have a child already?"

"That's your granddaughter…" Mrs. Mizuhara said. "Her name is Tomiko."

Mr. Mizuhara looked to Mrs. Mizuhara. "I'm… a grandfather?"

Mrs. Mizuhara nodded.

Yomi slowly approached her father, and held out little Tomiko. Mr. Mizuhara took Tomiko in his hands, and held her up. Tomiko stared at him while he stared back at her… She reminded him so much of Yomi… when he held her after she was born…

_Burp!_

Both Mrs. Mizuhara and Jill let out a giggle, even while trying to hold it back. Yomi felt a bit more embarrassed that her own child would do that.

"Yeah… you got some of your mom in you." Mr. Mizuhara said with a smile.

She then giggled even more. Yomi gave a small blush. "You mean I…"

"Yup." Mr. Mizuhara said, his grin slightly bigger. "I held you up after your mother had finished feeding you… and you burped right at me."

Yomi's face turned a slight red. Jill gave a giggle.

"And I said to your father 'Now it looks like you two are going to get along very well.'" Mrs. Mizuhara said.

There was now laughter amongst the three adults… while there was blushing from Yomi, and staring at her grandfather from Tomiko.

Mr. Mizuhara then handed Tomiko back to Yomi, and then stood to face his wife once more.

"Honey…" he began. "I… I know I haven't been around for you… with my job keeping me busy and all…"

"I know, dear…" Mrs. Mizuhara said.

"…but… I felt rather… crushed… when I come home and find you making out on the couch…" he continued.

"Oh, don't feel bad, sweetie." Mrs. Mizuhara said. "Koyomi saw the same thing."

"She just had to bring it up…" Yomi muttered.

"but…a long drive around town… and I realized that… I was slightly relieved that it was a woman." Mr. Mizuhara finished.

"Oh, honey…" Mrs. Mizuhara replied. "…I wasn't lying when I said 'no man could ever replace your spot in my heart.'"

Yomi gave a small snicker. Technically… her mother had been telling the truth…

"But… who is she?" Mr. Mizuhara asked, looking behind Mrs. Mizuhara to Jill.

"Her name is Jill…" Mrs. Mizuhara said. "She was my love before you."

"Hi, there. I've heard so much about you from Mizu-honey." Jill replied, bowing deeply.

Mr. Mizuhara stepped past Mrs. Mizuhara, took Jill's right hand, bent down and kissed it. "Thank you for leading her to me."

"Oh my… I can see why she likes you." Jill replied, a small blush on her face.

"Dear… are you flirting with her?" Mrs. Mizuhara asked, though her tone was a bit playful.

"Well, honey, if you're going to make out with her on the couch, the least I get to do is flirt." Mr. Mizuhara replied with a sheepish grin.

"I'M LEAVING!" Yomi declared, quickly putting Tomiko into her carriage and making her way out to get her shoes. "God… first I see my mom making out with another woman… and now I had to watch my dad flirt with another woman right in front of my mother…"

"I'm beginning to think you have some sort of fetish watching them do this, Koyomi." Jill said.

Mr. and Mrs. Mizuhara paused…then burst out laughing.

Yomi, completely red-faced, left the house.

"So… am I forgiven?" Mrs. Mizuhara asked.

"Well…" Mr. Mizuhara looked to Jill. "So long as you two are just kissing… and not going further."

"Oh my." Mrs. Mizuhara said. "Going back to our college days, are we?"

Mr. Mizuhara smiled. "And…let me take a few days off… I'd like to get to know her."

"Oh my." Jill replied, a small blush forming on her face once more.

Mr. Mizuhara quickly kissed Mrs. Mizuhara. "Well… I'm off. Be good, darling."

"I will, muffin." Mrs. Mizuhara replied.

And with that, Mr. Mizuhara left the house, a new understanding that his wife had previously been a lesbian.

"Heh… I wonder how many guys can say their wives were lesbians…" Mr. Mizuhara wondered to himself with a sheepish guy grin.

…

Author's notes: Yes, the inclusion of Mr. Mizuhara now finding out about his wife and Jill.

I've been wanting to do this for quite a while now, and I finally got my chance.

And maybe a little peek at Yomi as a baby too.

Well, just two more chapters left, and we can conclude this saga.

Next Chapter: Surprises all about


	146. Surprises all about

Surprises all about

…

Monday, April 6th

..

So… two weeks would come to pass. Sakaki, Tomo, and Yomi are still on maternity leave.

Koharu was incredibly focused on her karate, even if Kaori Kimura often left in an angry huff. And in fact, Koharu had already advanced to a yellow belt.

This still made both Kagura and Kaorin rather nervous, even if they were proud. They still worried that, if Koharu should get the chance, she may hurt Sachiko in a way she'd regret later.

Yomi was also in the process of writing her new dieting book: "Children and Stress: How to manage both to help with losing weight". She was hoping to have it done after the summer.

In the meantime, Koyomiko had studied her hardest during the past months. The teachers already saw that she had straight A's… and some of them who had talked with Koyomiko knew what she wanted…

She wanted to skip a grade, so that she could be with all her friends a grade up.

And she had shown she could work hard enough to hold up her end of the deal…

…

And so… now… the day of decision… Koyomiko received a kiss on her forehead from Tomo and Yomi, and said good-bye to the two of them, also making sure to tell them that she would be right to her Obaasan's house immediately after school.

Making her way into the school, she was immediately met by Koharu, toting one badly blushing Pan.

"Koyomiko-chan, guess what?!" Koharu said with a grin. "You did it! You skipped a grade!!"

"REALLY?!?!" Koyomiko said, her eyes lighting right up. Words could not describe her own inner joy at that moment.

"Yeah!! And Pan is your classmate!!" Koharu said, pulling the blushing Pan right up to meet Koyomiko.

"YAY!!! Melon and I are classmates!!!" Koyomiko replied, looking as happy as ever.

Pan gave a small smile, her face still glowing a bright red.

"Well, I'm headed off to class. See ya!" And with that, Koharu left.

"U-Um…s-should we go?" Pan asked.

"Yeah, let's go!" Koyomiko said, taking Pan's hand and darting down the hallway.

Pan couldn't breathe. Once again, Koyomiko had full hold of her hand, and wasn't letting go.

A few moments later, the bell rang.

And Koyomiko and Pan were still in the hall…

"Um… say, Melon… where is our homeroom?" Koyomiko asked.

Pan's eyes snapped wide. Crap… she had totally forgotten too!

…

"Thank god… no more Nakamura-san." Koharu said, sitting at her desk. Nekosa was one chair behind her.

"I heard it was awful for you." Nekosa replied.

"Yeah… but at least now I'm in a class with you." Koharu said with a grin. "And Pan's a classmate with Koyomiko-chan."

…

"…so yeah, then I was almost late. Thankfully, the board was right there and we could look." Koyomiko said. Sitting at her desk, the girl behind her was none other than Sachiko Nakamura.

And she was NOT enjoying the chatty, talking Koyomiko.

Pan, meanwhile, was two chairs back from Koyomiko. She would look around Sachiko and blush as Koyomiko talked on.

_God damn it all to hell… this is worse than being around Aida-san…_Sachiko thought.

…

Outside, Kagura jogged past the school. It was her training for the Summer Olympics of 2012.

_I will get those medals… I will get those medals… and beat Michael Phelps!_ Kagura thought as she jogged on.

…

Kaorin, at her job checking out a new telescope that was supposed to help people see even further into the universe… couldn't help but feel… a little depressed.

She had noted it when the kids were being born. Kagura seemed… incredibly focused on going to the Olympics.

But… that's what Kagura wanted to do, right? It must just be her. After all, she needed to understand that Kagura was going to be training, so she might be spending a bit more time away training, and away from her.

Kaorin just shrugged off the thought, and got back to focusing on her telescope.

…

At the Sakaki household, things were… getting rather warm.

Rather than going off to bed, Joe had instead stayed up, and helped Sakaki take care of the twins.

And now the twins were fast asleep.

Some lovin' had been called for, and needed, by the two of them. It had been months since they had been given any.

Already, the two were lying on the couch, kissing with intense passion towards each other.

Sakaki quickly removed Joe's shirt, and the two were right back to kissing.

_Knock, knock!_

Joe removed Sakaki's shirt, revealing her black nursing bra before they were right back to passionately kissing.

_Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock!_

"Joe…" Sakaki said in between kisses. "Someone's…at the…door."

"mmm… we're not home." Joe gently moaned, working hard to keep his passion and love focused on his wife.

"Little siiiiiiiiis!!" Came the call from outside.

"WAH!!"

Joe's whole body rolled and landed on the ground with a 'THUMP!' as Sakaki pushed him off and sat straight up, and quickly began putting her shirt back on.

"Owwwww…" Joe moaned, sitting himself up. "Tanaka… why'd you push me off?"

"Quick, you have to get dressed!" Sakaki said, a small amount of worry in her voice.

"Oh, did I interrupt something? If you need me to come back, I will." Came that girlish voice from outside.

Sakaki's whole face turned red.

Joe's aggravation, meanwhile, began a slow rise. He stood himself up, grabbed his shirt, and put it on on his way to the door. He opened the front door to give hell to whomever had interrupted his alone time with his wife…

Standing there was a woman who stood at eye level with Joe… but he noted that she was wearing high heels. She had black hair that was tied into something of a messy bun in the back, and she wore glasses in front of her black eyes. Joe noted how she was wearing a lab coat in broad daylight, almost as if it was her usual outfit…

Behind her was a man with black un-kept hair, and a small goatee. He stood a few inches taller than everyone present, and wore blue jeans and a blue t-shirt.

"Can I help you?" Joe asked in an agitated tone.

"So you WERE doing something." The woman said with a grin.

Joe blushed. "Y-Yes! Something incredibly important before you interrupted!"

At that moment, the woman spotted Sakaki stepping into view a fair distance away from Joe.

"Little Sis!!" The woman barged right by Joe, her high-heel shoes dropping right at the door as she stepped out of them, and ran up to Sakaki and gave her a big hug.

"Um…sis? You mean… you're a sibling?" Joe asked, rather surprised.

"Well, duh!" The woman replied. She let go of Sakaki, then turned and bowed at Joe. "Saisei Sakaki, very pleased to meet you."

"Um… Joe Sakaki. Pleased to meet you as well…" Joe said, still in a bit of a shock. "So…I didn't see you at our wedding…"

At that, Saisei looked up at Joe. "So you're the one who my little sis has fallen for...hmm, not much to look at, a little scrawny...what does she see in you? I must find out! Dissection time! For science!"

"W-what?!" Joe yelled in shock, stepping back.

Sakaki's eyes were wide.

Saisei then laughed. "Relax, I'm just messing with you! Welcome to the family!"

"Th-thanks…" Joe replied, still a little shaken from the last shock.

That's when a hand came down on his shoulder.

"Hey. I'm Josh. I'm her husband."

Joe looked to Josh. "Uh…pleased to meet you."

The two greeted each other with an American hand-shake… something Joe had not done in a good long time.

Saisei wrapped an arm around Sakaki. "To think, sis… now we can talk about wife-type stuff. Like the different sex positions we've tried with our hubbies."

Both Joe's and Sakaki's faces turned a sharp red. Joe's mouth dropped open.

_Th-this is Tanaka's sister?! There's no way!! _Joe thought. Saisei seemed like the complete and total opposite of the polite, quiet Sakaki that Joe had come to know and love.

Josh, with a smile, put a finger on Joe's chin, and closed his mouth. "Relax, she's kidding."

"My god…" Saisei noted. "Even if he's not all that good looking, at least he's got something in common with you."

Sakaki blushed and looked down in embarrassment, but was still smiling.

"So…listen…I…I…ACHOO!!" Saisei sneezed. "My husband and I need a place to stay for a couple of weeks… I lost my job in America, you see…"

"Really? That's awful…" Sakaki said.

"Well… it's kind of a funny story…" Saisei said with a laugh. "The place I worked at was destroyed…but I swear I didn't do it!"

Josh and Saisei laughed again. Sakaki and Joe were rather quiet…

"So, can I just stay with you here until I get a…a…ACHOO!" Saisei sneezed again. "Sis… did you happen to get cats?"

"Mmmm…five of them." Sakaki said.

"Well, at least I have some allergy medication to take…" Saisei replied. "I'll be right back…"

Saisei quickly ran into the bathroom, took the medication, and came back.

"So…what can we talk about?"

…

That night, Nekosa would come home, open the front door… and find a strange woman talking with Sakaki, while a strange man was talking with Joe.

Saisei's and Josh turned to the front door…

There was a small silence as the two stared at Nekosa.

"Eh? Okaasan? Who are these people?" Nekosa asked.

There was… one incredibly awkward silence through the room.

For Josh, seeing the cat-girl from the news in real life was quite a surprise all his own…

For Saisei… her mind was flashing through many, many things.

"Um… Nekosa…" Joe spoke. "This is Saisei and Josh… Saisei is your aunt."

"Aunt?" Nekosa asked, tilting her head.

At that, Saisei snapped out of whatever trance she was in. "That's right, I'm your aunt! Pleased to meet you!"

Saisei patted the top of Nekosa's head. What surprised Saisei the most was why she wasn't…

"AH-CHOO!!!"

Saisei sniffled, and noticed that her eyes were watering up.

"I thought so…" Saisei replied, getting stuffed up rather quickly.

"But… she's hypoallergenic…" Sakaki said.

"Really? Must just be the other cats then… time for more allergy meds." Saisei said.

Saisei would then quickly retreat to the bathroom.

…

In the bathroom, Saisei took some allergy medication along with some water.

But after taking the medication, she opened up her left hand…

In it, a small strand of hair from Nekosa.

Saisei stared at it… lost in thought…

_I wonder… was it really you?_

Saisei pulled out a small device no bigger than an Ipod from her lab pocket. She fed the hair into the very top of the machine.

The screen displayed 'Reading…'

A moment passed…

A knock came on the door.

"Honey, you ok?" Josh's voice came in through the door.

"Yes, dear, I'm fine. Just give me another moment." Saisei replied.

'Read complete.'

And the screen showed a complete DNA readout.

Sakaki…

Cat DNA…

And one whom Saisei recognized…

Azami.

"So… my old roommate… you really did do it." Saisei whispered. "But… why is she with my sister?"

…

Author's notes: Uuuu… I left you with a partial cliffhanger!

Saisei and Josh both belong to King Zairak. I just borrowed them.

Saisei comes from King Zairak's fic 'My sister is a Mad Scientist', where Saisei is Sakaki's sister.

Saisei is also most opposite of her sister, even to the point of being a scientist, and having an allergy to cats.

But it was Zairak's original musing to have Saisei and Azami as roommates, so I just went with it.

But we move on to the next chapter, which follows up on this one! (Yes, this one was getting rather long, so I just decided to cut it in half.)

Next Chapter: That Night


	147. That Night

That Night

Note: What an incredibly imaginative title! 8D

…

BAM!!

"Mama!! Kaa-san!!" Koyomiko squealed as she barged in through the door.

"SHHHH!!! Your sister and Mama are sleeping!" Yomi said.

"I skipped a grade!! I'm with all my friends!!" Koyomiko said with glee.

Then… the cry of a baby.

"Yomiiii!! Keep it down, I'm trying to sleep!!"

Then the cry of a real baby.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

Yomi sighed and hung her head. "I'm sorry, Koyomiko. Tell me later, ok?"

Yomi quickly turned and walked into Tomiko's room to try and sooth her back to sleep.

In the meantime, Koyomiko ran upstairs to the only room up there, where Tomo was sleeping.

"Mama, mama! Guess what?"

"Could you please tell me later, Koyomiko? I'm trying to sleep." Tomo moaned, turning over.

A look of disappointment passed over Koyomiko's face. Saddened, she left the room, and went to her own.

She lied down on her bed, staring up at her ceiling. Maybe getting a sister wasn't all she had hoped it would be… she had finally succeeded in getting where she wanted to be… but her parents were tired or busy now…

…

In the meantime, Nekosa made it to her house…

And upon entering the house, found Saisei talking with Sakaki on the couch once again.

"So yeah… that's why I always have him using protection." Saisei said.

As Nekosa got closer, she could see that Sakaki was blushing deeply.

"What'cha talkin' about?" Nekosa asked, closing the door behind her and taking her shoes off.

Saisei turned to the door to see who had asked. "Oh, nothing, my little niece. Just… adult things."

Nekosa put her backpack down by her room, then walked right in front of Saisei, took a very adorable angry pose with her furry hands on her hips, and looked right into Saisei's eyes and said:

"I'm a big sister. I can handle adult stuff."

Sakaki had a hard cute-gasm.

Saisei smiled. "Oh? And what makes you think you can handle adult stuff just because you're a big sister?"

"'cause I saw Okaasan and Otousan making babies." Nekosa declared.

Sakaki's cutegasm stopped completely… and her whole face turned the sharp red.

Sakaki looked at Saisei out of the corner of her eye… and could already see her older sister getting one HUGE smile across her face.

"Well…" Saisei said, looking back at Nekosa, trying to keep her smile down. "We were talking about stuff that runs in the family."

"Huh?" Nekosa dropped her adorable angry pose, and was now paying attention to Saisei.

"Stuff that, because we're part of the Sakaki family, we get." Saisei said.

"Oh? Like what?" Nekosa asked, her tail gently flicking in interest.

"Well, first up…" Saisei stuck her chest out, making her breasts even more noticeable. "You get these!"

Nekosa looked rather confused.

"You get big breasts, deary!" Saisei said. "They're inherited!"

"Oooooh." Nekosa paused, then asked. "What's inherited?"

Saisei hung her head in disappointment. "Never mind. You'll get it when you're older. But what we were talking about is how fertile we are."

"Fertile?" Nekosa asked.

Sakaki's face started to turn red, but she wouldn't try to stop Saisei. She already knew… once Saisei started, there was no stopping her.

"It means we can have lots of babies all at once." Saisei said. "Like how your mom and dad had twins."

"Ooooooooooooooh…" Nekosa thought for a moment, seemingly taking it in, before walking off, grabbing her backpack on her way to her room.

And Saisei's big grin returned, causing Sakaki's face to go red again.

"So… what's this about catching you making babies?" Saisei asked.

…

Kaorin stood in the kitchen, getting set on making supper.

Kagura walked in, having just been out for an evening run. As she walked by Kaorin, Kaorin sighed heavily.

Kagura stopped. "Something wrong, Kaorin?"

Kaorin turned to Kagura. "Yes. I'm worried about Koharu."

"Nah, don't worry about her!" Kagura said with a grin. "She can handle herself."

"That's my point, Natsuko!" Kaorin said, turning around to face Kagura. "She's learning karate to try and beat the Nakamura kid! I'm afraid that she may end up going too far and doing something she may regret for the rest of her life!!"

"Geez, calm down…" Kagura replied. "…it's not like Koharu's gonna murder that kid or anything…"

"How do you know she won't?!" Kaorin asked, her voice still in a rather panicked tone. "How do you know she won't break Nakamura-san's neck when she finds out how to?! How do you know she won't hit Nakamura's rib cage and shatter it?!"

Kagura quickly darted up to hug Kaorin, but Kaorin put one arm out. The other was putting her hand to her nose.

"Oh my god… you smell of sweat." Kaorin groaned.

Kagura gave a big grin. "Best smell ever."

"Get in the shower! Ugh… disgusting." Kaorin moaned.

"Geez… you sure you're not just cramping up because you're on your period or something?" Kagura asked, turning to head for the showers.

"Don't even go there!" Kaorin growled, turning back to the stove.

Kagura sighed. Sometimes, it was hard being with Kaorin. She had these mood swings all the time… she could be happy one day, then growly and angry the next.

…

Pan would go to Osaka's house, where she would find Osaka on the couch, gently cradling Akeno with a warm smile on her face.

It was strange… even her closest friends couldn't tell why… but since giving birth, Osaka had taken a very mature motherly side, one that was incredibly warm and loving.

Though it was true that Osaka still kept her rather weird thoughts… and would often voice them to the people who came over…

But whenever she held Akeno… or hugged Pan to make her feel better… a warm smile would pass over her face… and her whole focus would turn to the child she was taking care of.

It was the freakiest thing… especially to those who had known Osaka since high school…

Yet for Pan, this was warmly welcomed. On those days she was feeling down, she sometimes needed that pick-me-up hug

Pan crept into the house, unheard from how silent she was. She took off her shoes at the door, and walked slowly and quietly to the couch. She got up on the couch next to Osaka.

"Oh, Pan!" Osaka said, suddenly realizing someone else was sitting there. "I didn't hear ya come in. How was your day?"

"It was…ok." Pan replied in her quiet voice.

"that's good." Osaka looked down to Akeno, who's big eyes were looking at Pan. "Yes, tha's your big sister. She's home. Ya wanna go to her?"

Akeno looked up at Osaka as she spoke, then looked back at Pan.

"Pan… you wanna hold him?" Osaka asked.

Pan didn't respond… she took the moment to instead stare at her socks…

Akeno began to whine… looking at Pan…

"Pan… ah think he wants to go to ya…" Osaka said.

Pan looked at her little brother… those big eyes that were scrunching up… like he was going to burst out crying if she didn't hold him…

Pan held out her arms, and Osaka handed over Akeno.

"Why does he like me so much?" Pan asked.

"'cause you're his big sister." Osaka said. "Kinda like how Hikari likes me… 'cause ah'm the bigger sister."

Akeno's small right hand went up to Pan's cheek… then squeezed it.

"Ow…" Pan groaned.

"Ah… ya may wanna watch that… he's been squeezin' stuff all day." Osaka said with a small sweat-drop.

Akeno's hand fell down from Pan's cheek, then moved to her shirt, and squeezed it, feeling it almost…

"It's amazin', isn't it?" Osaka said, that warm smile appearing on her face. "It's almost like he's feelin' stuff… discoverin' what the world is like…"

Akeno let go of Pan's shirt, then gave out a big yawn before turning himself in Pan's arms so that his cheek rested on her chest before falling asleep.

"You're a good big sister, Pan." Osaka said, that warm smile still on her face. "Ya want me to take him and put him in his crib?"

"No thank you…" Pan whispered. Her eyes were staring at the sleeping Akeno… he was so small… so peaceful…

She envied the simplicity in which he lived in. To not have a care in the world…

"Well, ah'm gonna get to makin' supper. Let me know if ya want me to move him." Osaka said, standing up and heading for the kitchen.

…

Osaka would return a few moments later…

"D'awww… tha's so cute."

Pan had nodded off. Her head was leaning back on the couch, leaned off to the right side. Akeno was still in her arms, sleeping peacefully.

Osaka quickly pulled out her cell phone, and took a picture.

…

Kagura's cell phone went off as she, Kaorin, and Koharu were eating supper.

"Mmm?" A mouth full of rice, she quickly pulled out her cell phone and opened it up. "mmmmmmmmmmmmmm"

"What?" Kaorin asked.

Kagura turned her cell phone to Kaorin.

"Awwwwwwww… that's so adorable…" Kaorin said, a smile on her face.

"What? What is?" Koharu asked.

"Your sister fell asleep with Akeno in her arms." Kaorin said, showing the cell phone to Koharu.

"Heheh… she is kinda cute like that…" Koharu said, taking another bit of rice as she looked at the picture.

Kagura took the cell phone back, and forwarded the picture…

…

Tomo's cell phone went off. She groggily reached for it on top of the dresser, and opened the cell phone up with a yawn.

"Heh…cute." Tomo said. She forwarded the message, then went back to sleep.

…

Yomi opened up her cell phone. A smile came across her face, and she headed for Koyomiko's room.

Yomi found Koyomiko sleeping on the bed. Yomi was about to leave when Koyomiko began to stir…

"No…Mama…Kaa-san…don't leave me…please…no…don't…"

Yomi quickly headed into the room, and began shaking Koyomiko to wake her up from her nightmare.

"No..no…no!!" Koyomiko jolted awake.

"You ok, Koyomiko? You looked like you were having a nightmare…" Yomi said.

Koyomiko looked to Yomi… and tears welled up in her eyes as she hugged Yomi and buried her face in Yomi's shirt.

"Kaa-san, it was awful!!" Koyomiko cried. "I dreamed that you and Mama had left me all alone!!"

"Awww… there, there, it was only a nightmare, shhhhh" Yomi said, gently hugging her child and rubbing her back to calm him down.

"But Kaa-san… you didn't want to listen when I told you I advanced a grade…" Koyomiko said, her face still buried in Yomi's shirt.

"You did? Good job, Koyomiko!" Yomi replied. "It's not that I didn't want to listen to you… I was just busy. You need to have patience, and wait for your turn before you tell me stuff."

"O-Ok, Kaa-san…" Koyomiko said, slowly calming down.

"Oh, here… this is what I wanted to show you…" Yomi pulled out her cell phone, and showed the picture of Pan and Akeno sleeping on the couch.

"Awwwwwww… Melon looks adorable with Akeno-chan!" Koyomiko said with a smile.

"She does, huh?" Yomi said with a smile.

Koyomiko hugged Yomi tightly. "I love you, Kaa-san."

Yomi hugged her back. "I love you too, Koyomiko."

…

If there was only one family that would not enjoy their night, it was the Sakaki family.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

"Oh, Josh!! YES!!! YES!!!!"

Sakaki's face was red, and she wondered if she would get any sleep tonight.

Joe was sitting on the couch, wondering how in the world the twins were sleeping through it.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Nekosa came walking out of her room, and went to the couch.

"Hey, Nekosa. Can't sleep?" Joe asked.

"They're making too much noise…" Nekosa whined.

"Yeah… they're making babies." Joe replied in an aggravated tone.

"OH GOD, YES!!!! RIGHT THERE!! RIGHT THERE!!!"

"If you want, you can go get your sleeping bag, and sleep out here. It's a bit quieter…" Joe said.

"Thanks, Otousan…" Nekosa said. She was walking back to her room…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!"

Then the twins both started crying.

Joe sighed as he stood himself up to go try and calm the twins down.

As he was headed back, the door to Saisei's room opened, and out she stepped, covered in only a blanket. Her hair was down , her glasses were lopsided on her face, and she was heavily panting.

"Next time, try to keep it down." Joe growled as he walked past her to get to the twins.

"Hey…those kids in there…are from you banging…my sister! It's not like…you haven't done it!" Saisei said through her breaths.

"NOT THAT LOUDLY!!!" Joe shouted, picking up Hanako and Ren to try and calm them down.

"Whatever!" Saisei shot back. At that moment, two hands grabbed Saisei by the shoulders. She was pulled back into the room, and the door slammed shut.

"AAAAH!!!! J-JOSH!!!! OOH GOD!!!"

The twins went silent, though their eyes were completely wide as the thumping continued, and Saisei's screams were heard.

"Yeah…I'm with you two." Joe groaned.

…

Author's Notes: Yeah… so much for the Sakaki household being a place of peace… Joe and Sakaki just don't get any rest, do they?

But I loved writing the part about Akeno and Pan. It was just so adorable and family loving, I couldn't resist it.

Anyway, we come now to the final chapter of this saga.

Next Chapter: Summer Days are here again, End Birth Saga.


	148. Summer days are here again, end brth sga

Summer Days are here Again, End Birth Saga

…

Friday, July 17th

…

The loud screams of children could be heard everywhere as they broke out of school.

It was finally summer vacation.

"I can't wait to see what we'll do this year!" Koyomiko squealed happily. "I hope we get to go to the beach again!"

Sachiko said nothing, but rather turned and headed home.

Koharu quickly turned herself, and headed off to the dojo for karate.

Leaving only Pan, Koyomiko, and Nekosa to walk home.

Nekosa sighed heavily.

"What's wrong, Nekosa-chan?" Koyomiko asked.

"It's my aunt…" Nekosa replied. "She's been staying at our house for a while… it's been hard to sleep at night… not only with my siblings, but with her constantly making babies late at night."

"Awww… well, at least you'll be able to sleep a lot during the summer!" Koyomiko replied happily.

"Yeah… that is if my aunt can find a job first…" Nekosa replied.

"What do you mean?" Koyomiko asked.

"Well… I asked how long my aunt was going to be staying with us… and my Okaasan told me that she'd be staying there until she could find a job, because she got fired from her last job." Nekosa replied.

"Fired?" Koyomiko asked. "They set fire to her?"

"Um…I don't know…" Nekosa replied honestly.

It was then that Koyomiko and Nekosa got rather strange thoughts…

…

Boss: You're fired!! (sets fire to employee)

Employee: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!! (runs around on fire)

…

"I don't think I ever want to get a job…" Koyomiko said looking frightened.

"M-me neither…" Nekosa said, having the same frightened look.

Pan was off in her own little world… wondering not only about why Koyomiko made her heart beat faster… but why Koharu hated Sachiko so badly… Pan didn't see Sachiko the way Koharu did. Pan saw Sachiko as more of… a person who just needed a friend.

"Melon?"

Pan broke out of her trance at the sound of Koyomiko's voice. "Y-Yes?"

"You seem distracted…" Koyomiko said.

"It's…nothing." Pan said.

"Oh… well, hopefully we'll get to see each other over summer vacation. See you later, Pan!" and with that, Koyomiko skipped along back to her house.

Pan's eyes followed Koyomiko all the way…

"Pan… why does she call you Melon?" Nekosa asked.

Pan sighed. "Because of the bread I like."

"Bleh…" Nekosa said, sticking her tongue out in disgust.

"I don't mind…" Pan whispered.

"Still… have a nice time, Pan." Nekosa said, waving as she trotted off.

…

Pan continued her walk home, thinking… musing about Sachiko, Koharu… everything that had happened to her…

"OH MAH GOD!! THAR'S MAH CUTE L'IL GRAND-NIECE!!!"

Pan froze… in horror…

Her head slowly turned behind her…

And her plump Aunt Gertrude was trudging her way towards her, her Uncle Fungus not too far behind.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!"

Pan fled. Her own size being able to run rather well. But Aunt Gertrude and Uncle Fungus continued to pound behind her.

Pan quickly ran into the Osaka house, and slammed the door shut, pushing her body up against it to keep out the two coming. She was breathing hard, not only from running, but also from sheer fright.

"Pan? Is everythin' ok? Are zombies chasin' ya?" Osaka asked.

"G…g…g…" Pan was breathing far too hard to say anything.

"G… wha' starts with a G?..." Osaka mused for a moment.

"GERTRUDE AND FUNGUS!!!!" Pan screamed.

Osaka's whole musing world was suddenly shattered by those names.

Along with the pounding on the door.

"Mah cute Ayumu!! Ah've come ta see ya and yer new baby boy-eee!!!" Came Gertrude's squeal from outside.

"WAAAAH!!!!" Osaka wailed. She started to flee…

BAM!!!

The door slammed open, knocking Pan to the floor.

"There ya are!!" Gertrude squealed. She stepped in the house, over Pan, and right to Osaka for one gigantic sucker kiss right on the forehead.

"Ayumu, what's…" Arata stepped out of a room, with Akeno in his arms, and froze. "G-G-G-G-Gertrude!!!"

"Ya'll remembered mah name?! Tha's so sweet o' ya!!!" Gertrude stomped right over to Arata, who was still frozen with Akeno in his arms.

Akeno looked up at Gertrude, who looked back at him.

"AWWWWW…. Ain't 'e jus' adorable?!"

Akeno's face started to contort….

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!"

The loudest wail anyone had ever heard came from him. Osaka, Pan, and even Fungus and Gertrude had to cover their ears.

"AH THINK YA SCARED 'EM, GIRDIE!!!" Fungus yelled.

Gertrude never heard him. Arata had Akeno at arm's length, for the wailing was just far too loud. The tears were streaming down Akeno's face as he cried.

Arata quickly retreated to the room and shut the door, the crying now simmering down, but still loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Oh dear…ah…ah'm so sorry…" Gertrude said in a humble tone no one had heard come out of her before. "ah didn'… mean ta scare 'em…"

Osaka was completely confused… Gertrude had never acted this way… even when one of her relatives blew up in Gertrude's face because she had been tired of the constant hugging and kissing… Gertrude just blew them off as being 'too sensitive'…

Gertrude began mumbling something… and slowly retreated… heading her way out of the house, grabbing Fungus along the way.

"Mah god…tha' was new…" Osaka said, still stunned.

The door to the room opened, with Arata stepping out, still carrying the wailing Akeno.

"LOOK, LOOK!! HERE'S YOUR MOM!!!" Arata yelled to Akeno, quickly handing him off to Osaka.

"OI!!! OI!!!!" Osaka called out to Akeno. Akeno's crying finally calmed down after a few more calls.

"There we go" Osaka said. A smile came on her face. "Did that mean ol' Gertrude scare you? Ah know… she scares me too."

Osaka grabbed a white burping towel off of a stack of them that were next to the couch, and used it to wipe Akeno's face of tears, and then also to wipe his nose.

"There, all better" Osaka said.

Akeno's eyes slowly opened back up to their usual size… then…

(hic!)

There was a sudden silence in the room…

(hic!)

"Awww…he's got the hiccups." Osaka groaned.

(hic!)

"Well… what do we have to do to get them out of him?" Arata asked.

"Ah think he's a bit too young ta try and have him drink while we hold his head…" Osaka said.

(hic!)

Akeno's eyes slowly traveled around the room… looking about…

"Oh no…" Osaka said, looking slightly terrified.

"What?" Arata asked.

(hic!)

"He's lookin' ta pass 'em to someone…" Osaka said.

"Eh? He's gonna give the hiccups to someone?" Arata asked.

Akeno's eyes landed on his favorite person… Pan.

"Uh-oh… Pan, ah think you're gonna get the hiccups…" Osaka said.

"H-huh?!" Pan asked. She didn't really like the hiccups… they were uncomfortable.

There was a pause…noticing Akeno's hiccups were gone.

"Ok…here it comes…" Osaka said.

Pan braced herself…waiting…waiting…

(hic!)

Pan opened her eyes…

(hic!)

All eyes followed the noise… to Arata.

(hic!)

"Nawww… now I got 'em." Arata moaned.

(hic!)

"Ah think we'd better call up mah friends…they have a few suggestions…" Osaka said.

Arata whined.

(hic!)

…

Spoiler Theatre

…

That day, Kaorin was sorting through the mail… when she spotted an interesting letter. So she opened it…

Sakaki would read the same letter…

As would Yomi…

And Osaka would also read it…

Dear (Name)

You are properly invited to a party of sorts involving the many kids created from your DNA and the corporation that has long since been destroyed.

The kids, along with their caretakers, would like to meet you in person. Enclosed are plane tickets to America, specifically Oklahoma. From there, Joseph Wada will pick you up and drive you to the party.

We hope to see you all there. Please find any means to attend, as missing out would be a severe disappointment to the kids.

Signed,

The Caretakers of the kids.

And when Kagura read the letter… it all came flooding back to her. As it did with Pan and Koharu.

…

Author's notes: Remember the Azu-kid saga, when Kagura, Osaka, Pan, and Koharu all met Jay, Jacob, Moriko, and Kaede? Yup, that was a prelude to this coming saga.

I hope you all enjoyed this one, despite it being rather short, and I shall be writing the next saga soon!

Jamesbondkid will return in the 'Corporation Saga'


End file.
